DHARMAPURI: Farmers in Harur lodged a complaint with the agriculture department stating a private seller sold them poor quality of paddy seeds because of which they suffered losses. Nearly 100 acres of cultivation area was affected, they said and demanded compensation from the government.
A month ago, dozens of farmers purchased seeds from a government approved shop in Harur and sowed them, but the saplings have allegedly withered. Speaking to TNIE, K Annadurai from Harur said, “We purchased a seed variety called ‘Eashwari -22’, from a government approved shop. Usually paddy takes 100 to 120 days to mature. But this variety entered maturing stage in little over 30 days. The crops started to wither shortly after. So farmers are facing massive losses”.
Another farmer, R Muniraj said, “Over 100 farmers cultivated this variety of seeds. Around 100 acres of paddy is lost. The poor quality of the seeds is the likely cause of the situation.The district administration should issue compensation.’
When contacted, officials in the agriculture department said, “We are investigating the matter. Our officials have inspected various fields in Harur and we have also notified the company who manufactured the seeds. We have also collected data on the number of farmers who had purchased the seeds. In a few days, the seed company staff will provide details on the paddy variety. If problems are observed, action will be taken against them.”