Ludhiana: Agri dept intensifies vigil to stop sale of banned paddy hybrid seeds in markets

Hindustan Times

17-05-2025

With the paddy sowing season underway, the agriculture department in Ludhiana has intensified efforts to ensure that banned hybrid seeds are not sold in the district's seed markets.
The crackdown follows last year's controversy when a purported hybrid of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU)'s PR 126 was sold to farmers at inflated prices, leading to significant losses.
Though originally priced at around ₹150 per kg, the seeds were allegedly sold for as high as ₹3,600 per kg. The hybrid was later blamed for high breakage percentages in rice grains, drawing concerns from millers and causing delays in crop procurement from mandis.
'This year, we've been proactively monitoring seed sales for over a month,' said district agriculture officer Gurdeep Singh. 'These hybrids were first banned, and we've since been conducting frequent inspections and directing dealers not to stock or sell them. Even the joint director of agriculture visited Jagraon and Samrala to supervise enforcement.'
He confirmed that, so far no banned hybrid seeds have been recovered from the inspections. Any violations, he warned, would invite strict action under the Seed Act of 1983..
Meanwhile, as sale of hybrid seeds are curbed, the demand for genuine PAU-certified seeds has seen a boost. Last year, around 20,400 quintals of authentic seeds were sold. This year, sales have already reached 23,700 quintals, with over a week still remaining in the current sales window.
Regarding the paddy transplant schedule, Singh said the state has been divided into three zones.
'Transplantation in Ludhiana—part of Zone 3—will begin from June 9, after areas with better groundwater levels begin on June 1 and 5, respectively,' he said.