18-05-2025
Tenant farmers' association asks A.P. government to ensure supply of high-quality seeds
The Andhra Pradesh Tenant Farmers' Association demanded that the State government ensure high-quality seeds are made available to tenant farmers as the Kharif season is set to begin in the first week of June.
In a statement on Sunday, the association president A. Katamaiah and general secretary P. Jamalaiah demanded that the State government immediately announce a cultivation action plan and ensure the availability of certified quality seeds for all required crops. Private seed companies have hiked prices excessively to profit, and in many districts, in the last Kharif season, these companies sold substandard and adulterated seeds, deceiving farmers, they said.
They urged the Agriculture Department to conduct inspections of agencies and private seed shops, and to take strict action to prevent the circulation of spurious seeds. Legal action should be taken against companies and shop owners who cheat farmers by producing and selling adulterated seeds. If necessary, they demanded that the Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act (PD Act) should be used to curb this menace, they said.
According to estimates by the Agriculture Department, about 85.65 lakh acres are cultivated every year in the State. Of this, 34.75 lakh acres is paddy, 14.80 lakh acres groundnut, 14.67 lakh acres cotton, 9 lakh acres pulses, and the rest is maize, green gram, black gram, and other crops. The government usually prepares seed stock in advance, based on these estimates.
'However, this year, the A.P. Seeds Corporation has reportedly failed to prepare it adequately. It is said that due to pending dues from previous years, seed suppliers are unwilling to supply to A.P. Seeds, causing delays,' they said. Considering this, the Tenant Farmers' Association demanded that the government urgently intervene and supply certified seeds for all crops on full subsidy.
