The Hindu : Law to stop sale of fake seeds needed, says Koujalgi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 28, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Law to stop sale of fake seeds needed, says Koujalgi

By Our Special Correspondent

DHARWAD Nov. 27. The Minister for Agriculture, V.S. Koujalgi, said here today that he would write to the Union Government on the need to amend the law for dealing with the sale of spurious seeds and pesticides.

Mr. Koujalgi was answering questions from presspersons on whether there were adequate provisions to tackle the problem effectively. He said quick action had been taken by his department on receiving information about the sale of spurious pesticides in Raichur District. Raids had been conducted, and action taken against 12 people, he added.

On Bt. cotton, he said though the Government had neither supported nor opposed its cultivation, the initial feedback from farmers was encouraging. Price wise and yield wise, Bt. cotton was giving better results. He added that the Government had permitted the cultivation of Bt. cotton in 6,000 acres of land in the State and would take a firm decision on the matter.

He disagreed with the suggestion made by leaders of farmers that the companies marketing Bt. cotton seeds should be made to indicate the average yield on the packets. He said farmers might fail to adopt the recommended farming practice, and it might result in low yield.

On questions about streamlining the Agriculture Department, Mr. Koujalgi said he had assumed office only recently, and was studying the matter. To start with, he had decided to improve the "ryot mitra kendras", and had brought out a publication giving information to farmers on crops that could be grown in normal and deficient rainfall conditions in the 10 agro-climatic zones in State. Mr. Koujalgi said it was important to improve research in the two agriculture universities in the State, and it should be possible to ensure that farmers got the benefits of research without delay.

He said that one of the causes for the sickness of cooperative sugar factories was the reluctance of the managements to go in for modernisation. Most factories were persisting with the manufacture of crystal sugar in a traditional way, at a time when sugar was no longer the only product, and co-generation of power, and production of ethanol were being given prominence. Sugar factories, he said, could manufacture liquid sugar, which was used in the production of soft drinks, instead of crystal sugar.

Asked about the additional investments needed for the purpose, he said the returns from value-added products would be good.

Transport of fodder

Mr. Koujalgi said the State might have to impose a ban on the inter-State movement of fodder. Fodder scarcity might become acute in the next couple of months and in summer. Rains in the rabi season had improved the prospects of the availability of fodder, he added.

Mr. Koujalgi said it had not been possible to make a correct estimate of the crop losses due to the failure of rains in the kharif and rabi seasons. The information was yet to be given by the districts, he added.

On the need to impose quantitative restrictions on the import of foodgrains, Mr. Koujalgi said he had discussions with the Union Minister for Food and Agriculture, Ajit Singh, who would attend the next meeting of the WTO.

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