Bargarh: Farmers in Bargarh district are at their wits’ end after fake and sub-standard seeds, pesticides and fertilizers started flooding the markets, a report said. Bargarh is known as the rice bowl of Odisha. And for years, paddy has remained a lifeline for the farmers with the crop cultivated on 79,060 hectares of farmland during the Rabi season.
The matter came to fore when some unscrupulous traders were caught red-handed while trying to sell fake pesticides in the name of a premium brand, December 31, last year. The management of the real firms is aware about this but is yet to lodge a complaint in the police station for reasons best known to them.
However, with fake and sub-standard seeds, pesticides and fertilisers manufactured by bogus companies flooding the market, cultivation has taken a serious hit in the district. This has become a cause of concern for farmers as the companies spread their tentacles by selling these fake products in the district.
The cultivation of the crop has brought good return for the farmers. However, the sale of these products has resulted in slow downturn of fortunes for the farmers.
Reports said that farmers in the district need 8,000 litres of pesticides and 1,000 quintals of seeds for paddy cultivation during the Rabi season. The Odisha government has given licence to 471 fertilizer traders, 526 pesticide traders and 363 seed traders to sell these products at government approved rate to the farmers.
However, with start of the crop season, agents and company representatives are moving from village to village and luring the gullible farmers to buy their products. Taken by their words, the farmers end up buying their seeds and use them on their farmlands.
An employee of a genuine pesticide firm, BB Reddy, who is in charge of Bargarh and Sambalpur districts, confirmed the development. He said that he came to know about the sale of these fake pesticides when he had been on an inspection to Bargarh two days back. He also witnessed similar sale of fake pesticides in the district last year.
The authorised retailer accompanied by some farmers met the additional district magistrate (ADM) Mirdha Toppo in the district and submitted a memorandum to him as the Collector was not there then, Monday. The ADM advised them to file a complaint in the concerned police station. However, the company staff are yet to file a complaint in the Bargarh Town police station.
When contacted, the chief district agriculture officer Dinabandhu Gandhi said he is yet to receive any complaint in this regard. However, action has been taken on the complaint which was received earlier. Moreover, farmers have been advised to obtain bills and receipts after buying fertilisers, seeds and pesticides from the licenced shops, he added.
Bargarh, Fake, Pesticides, Seeds, Paddy, Farmers, Collector, Fertilizers