The special drive being carried out against spurious seed trade in the State has brought to the fore the extent of illegal activity as 346.8 tonnes of poor quality seed, particularly that of cotton and chilli, has been seized this season – during the last few weeks.
Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy, who held a meeting on the spurious seed menace on Friday, said the State government would soon address a letter to the Centre to strengthen the seed act to control the problem resulting in huge losses to the farming community. He observed that the seed act made by the Centre in 1996 had several loopholes and shortcomings and needed to be strengthened.
He said Telangana was only State to use Preventive Detention Act against those indulging in spurious seed trade.
