Biz stunted due to illegal HT seeds; Nagpur, Wardha dealers call for strike today
Nagpur: Seed dealers in Nagpur and Wardha — both predominantly cotton-growing belts — have called for a strike on Monday alleging that illegal herbicide-tolerant (HT) seeds have eaten away half of their business.
HT seeds are genetically engineered to be resistant to glyphosate, a cheap weed killer whose commercial sale awaits a green signal from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
The seed buying season is over, and the dealers are left with nearly 50% to 40% of unsold stock. They will now have to run after the seed companies to refund the booking amount. The companies may refund the amount if they relent or adjust it for the coming season, said the traders TOI spoke to.
A packet of the authorised BG II seed, which is only effective against the bollworm pest, has MRP of Rs901 a packet. In contrast, farmers paid nearly Rs2,000 for a packet of HT seeds, said the dealers.
As per the traders, the HT seeds are illegally grown in the hinterlands of Gujarat and smuggled to Vidarbha. Vijay Chandak, president of Nagpur Agro Dealers Association, said the illegal seeds have completely overshadowed the market.
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"HT seeds have been the first choice of farmers this time. A massive proliferation of the seeds grown in clandestine farms can also lead to a crisis for the region's farmers. Sold in the grey market, there is no guarantee of the seeds' performance.
There are chances that the weed killer may even destroy the cotton seed, and farmers would not be able to claim any compensation from the govt," said Chandak.
Ravi Shende, his counterpart in Wardha, also spoke of a similar situation in the district.
"The seeds come from Gujarat, where an entire illegal industry seems to operate. The govt must act against it," he said. Farm activist Vijay Jawandhia alleged that a number of operators are simply plucking off the seeds from the HT cotton and packing it to Vidarbha. "Even if grown illegally, the method is to develop a seed through hybridisation.
The seeds taken out of the cotton crop can lack the required vigour. Yet, farmers are paying as much as Rs2,000 for a packet of such seeds," he said.
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Shortage of workers to clear weeds
The high demand for HT seeds also indicates a labour shortage in the hinterland. It enables the free use of glyphosate-based weed killers on cotton plants, instead of deploying labour to manually clear the weeds. There is also a strong lobby for legalising HT seeds. In 2019, Shetkari Sangathana openly sowed the seeds, challenging the govt to take action. The seeds were developed by Mahyco-Monsanto, which withdrew from the trials, due to which it remains illegal to use.
Glyphosate, however, is at present only allowed in non-cropped areas and tea gardens.
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