MADURAI: Months after allegations surfaced about the adulteration of barnyard millet (kuthiraivali) seeds provided to farmers, the agriculture department officials, after performing a field test, found that the seeds had no issues.
In November 2023, several farmers from Usilampatti raised concerns about adulterated barnyard millet seeds provided at a subsidized price by the agriculture department. Farmers alleged that nearly all the fields where the seeds were planted produced weeds, instead of millet crops. Owing to this, there was a massive decline in the harvest of barnyard millet, dropping from the usual seven quintals per acre to just one quintal per acre.
After farmers flagged the issue, seed samples were sent to Coimbatore for field testing, where the seeds would be cultivated in a field and a harvest report would be compiled.
Senior agriculture department officials said that the reports from the field test indicated that there were no issues with the seeds as the yield was good. Unseasonal rains and the lack of awareness of weed management may have been the reason, the officials added.
Notable, nearly 25 farmers who cultivated the millet variety were provided compensation for crop damage caused by rains.
The agriculture department will also raise awareness among farmers during the next season on weed management.
Speaking to TNIE, M Kannan, a farmer from Peraiyur said, “I cultivated barnyard milled on about 10 acres, and was faced with severe weed infestation issues. Even though we sought a compensation of Rs 17,000 per acre, we only got Rs 1,700 per acre. The cultivation expenses alone were over Rs 70,000. The poor quality of seeds led to this issue. Appropriate action should be taken to prevent such losses in the future.”