Stringent seeds act need of hour: Farmer bodies

Bagh Lingampally: All India Kisan Sangh national vice president Sarampalli Malla Reddy called upon the government to bring a stringent agriculture seeds act which would protect interests of farmers.

He was speaking at the round table meeting on the topic "Agriculture Seeds Act 2019 and its impact on agriculture" organised by Telangana Rythu Sangham here at Sundaraiah Vignana Kendram on Friday. Telangana Rythu Sangham vice-president Aribandi Prasada Rao presided the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Malla Reddy said the Section 21 of the proposed Act was an important section. He suggested that the compensation in the event of crop loss due to spurious seeds should be handed over to farmers not through courts but through committees which are directly monitored by state and central governments.

The proposed Act should have provisions to cancel the licensc of seed supplier or seed company if spurious seeds are supplied, he demanded. The government should take full responsibility of compensation to farmers and it should be applied to all types of crops, he said. Both dealer and sub-dealer should be held responsible for the supply of spurious seeds, he said.

In case farmers take spurious saplings from nurseries, nurseries should be held responsible and be punished. Expressing concern over huge losses incurred by farmers due to spurious seeds, he condemned governments' inability to cancel licenses of seed companies that supply spurious seeds.

Secretary of Telangana Rythu Sangham Teegala Sagar alleged that multinational seed companies are preventing governments from formulating effective seed laws. He urged that government to ensure that interests of farmers are protected while formulating the Act. He urged government to increase the penalty imposed on the seed suppliers and companies for supplying spurious seeds from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

Rythu Swaraj Vedika leader Vissa Kumar, Rythu Sangham vice president Nandyala Narsimha Reddy, AIKF state secretary V Upender Reddy, Telangana Raithanga Samithi president Sayanna, AIKMS president Koteshwar Rao, Rythu Sangham leaders M Shobhan, Bharath, sheep and goat growers association secretary Udutha Ravinder, SFI former secretary Kota Ramesh, KVPS joint secretary Vijay Kumar and others participated in the round table meeting.