KHAMMAM: Limited availability of quality chilli seeds on one side and unbridled selling of spurious seeds on the other seem to be casting a spell on hapless farmers in the district.
Long queues of farmers – both men and women - were witnessed in front of the seed dealer’s office at Gandhi Chowk to buy chilli seeds, particularly hybrid varieties on Monday. They stood in long lines without following Covid-19 guidelines in their desperation to get quality seeds, even without keeping proper physical distance.
The farmers want seeds such as Mahyco, 2222, Yasaswini and Armour hybrid varieties. The dealer is selling these varieties in limited quantities and giving other varieties that were not asked by farmers. The 2222 and Yasaswinin are being sold at Rs 600 per 10-gram packet. A farmer needs 15 packets of seeds to raise chilli in an acre. These varieties are being sold for Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,500 per 10-gram packet in black market.
In another incident, the police took eight persons into custody for selling uncertified chilli seeds in various mandal headquarters in Khammam and seized chilli seeds worth Rs 16.46 lakh and two vehicles from them. The persons were selling chilli seeds in the name of Ds-Rd Star, Deccan Hot and DS Kadamba varieties.
The arrested persons include K Roshaiah of Enkoor, Pallapothu Ravi Kumar of Manchukonda, Gugulothu Murali of Manchukonda, Bhukya Kishore of Murali Kishore Agros Limited, Khammam, Kunuku Srinivas, Ravi Seeds and Fertilizers, Khammam, Padala Srinivasa Rao, Sivasai Traders, Tallada, Adapa Suresh, Sri SSV Traders, Julurpad and Rangisetti Mukhesh, Javali Seeds, Chandrugonda. The task force teams led by ACPs Venkatesh, Ramanujam and circle inspectors Venumadhav, Karunakar and sub-inspector Srikant were lauded by commissioner of police Vishnu Warrior for cracking down on spurious seed sellers in the district. The farmers were asked not to buy seeds without bills and to approach registered dealers for buying quality seeds.
