Minister Tummala orders crackdown on illegal HT cotton seed sales

LatestPoliticsTelangana
By HNH Web Desk
illegal HT cotton seed sales

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Thursday ordered strict action to curb the entry and sale of illegal HT (Herbicide Tolerant) cotton seeds in Telangana. He issued the directive during a review meeting with Agriculture Department officials at the Secretariat.

Tummala said HT/BG-III cotton seeds, developed by American company Monsanto, were never approved by the Central Government due to failed field trials and associated environmental risks. Despite the ban, some middlemen were selling these seeds illegally in Telangana for personal profit, he warned.

Special task forces, awareness drives planned to stop HT seed inflow

The minister noted that while 20 authorised cotton seed companies are currently producing seeds in Telangana, about 40 certified firms are distributing seed packets. Last year, farmers purchased 1.10 crore packets across the state.

However, investigations found that banned HT seeds along with adulterated variants were being smuggled into border districts from Maharashtra and Gujarat. With cotton sowing expected on nearly 52 lakh acres, Tummala cautioned that illegal activity could escalate.

He directed the department to immediately deploy special task force teams in border regions to intercept unauthorised seed movement. He also instructed officials to issue clear co-marketing guidelines to seed suppliers and intensify awareness campaigns across farming communities.

Tummala warned that HT cotton seeds, often marketed as weed-resistant and high-yielding, result in excessive herbicide use. This causes environmental degradation, reduces biodiversity, and contaminates native cotton hybrids. He urged farmers to avoid buying such seeds and rely only on approved varieties.

Director of Agriculture Dr. Gopi, department officials, and seed company representatives attended the meeting.

 

You might also like More from author