TIRUPPUR: After shallot and drum sticks, substandard maize seeds halving harvest poses a threat for farmers in the district. Maize is the second-most cultivated crop after coconut and is cultivated in over 20,857 hectares across the district.
Speaking to TNIE, V Ramaswamy a maize farmer at Vellampatti in Dharapuram taluk, said, "I have been farming maize for over 25 years. Last October, I bought maize seeds from a dealer for Rs 40,000 per acre (Rs 1,400/packet) to cultivate in my 4-acre land. There should be around 500-600 grains in a corncob, but after 120 days I was shocked to find just 150 and the crop weighed less. The harvest is normally 3.5-4 tonne per acre, but I can get only 1.5 tonne for the same area. So, the return for every acre is just Rs 20,000."
Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association (Propaganda Secretary) R Sivakumar said, "Earlier, substandard shallot seeds caused issues. Now it is the turn of maize seeds. Many farmers cultivate corn since it is a 120-day crop. In Vellampatti village, two dozen farmers were affected by the substandard maize seeds. The agriculture department must take action against the seed dealers and inspect the seeds."
Tamil Nadu Farmers Association (Udumalaipet) vice president, SR Madhsoodan, said, "Over 30,000 farmers directly depend on maize crop. Moreover, one of the main problems faced by the farmers is that many dealers do not issue receipts, which makes it difficult to pursue legal action against the seed dealers and companies."
An official from the seed inspection department told TNIE, "We have received a lot of complaints from farmers in Tiruppur. A team has collected the samples from several farmers in the village. Based on the report, appropriate action will be taken."