KENDRAPARA: Farmers of Rajkanika block are up in arms against the Agriculture department, accusing it of supplying them spurious paddy seeds in May.
They alleged that despite sowing the seeds in time, the plants failed to flower by July, a stage normally reached within 20 to 25 days of germination. With their hopes dashed, many farmers are now warning of a looming food crisis due to the barren seeds.
“I wasted my strength and money on my land because of the spurious seeds. I sowed the seeds supplied by the Agriculture department. Nothing came out of it,” said Kangali Rout of Dasabhagaria village.
The frustration was shared widely among farmers in Bharigada, Dasabhagaria, Achutapur, Maneiadiha, Baradia, Olaver, and Kantapada villages under Rajkanika block.
Another distressed farmer from Dasabhagaria, Radhakanta Sahoo said, “I sowed paddy seeds in May, but they failed to germinate by June. I borrowed Rs 60,000 from the village cooperative society for cultivation. Now I am unable to repay the debt.”
Following the advice of the block agriculture officer, many farmers had opted for a new high-yielding paddy variety, expecting 30 to 35 quintal per acre. But the results were devastating. The seeds simply didn’t germinate, said Chakradhar Das, another farmer.
Contacted, chief district agriculture officer of Kendrapara Suresh Chandra Mallick said the seeds were provided through agricultural cooperative societies to help farmers grow kharif paddy. The farmers were advised to use good quality fertilisers, pesticides, and ensure adequate irrigation.
“However, many used poor-quality inputs and didn’t water the seeds properly, which may have led to germination failure. Besides, torrential rains may have damaged the saplings. We will examine the seeds in our laboratory,” he added.
However, farmers refuted Mallick’s claim. “We used proper fertilisers and pesticides. We irrigated the fields well. The seeds failed because they were barren,” said Kalakar Mallick, a farmer of Bharigada.
Farmer leader Gayadhar Dhal demanded that the government should take strict action against the officials and suppliers responsible for distributing the spurious seeds.