Low quality seeds flood Gaibandha markets
Supply shortage pushes up prices, cheated farmers fear production fall
Farmers throng a trader's shop in Gaibandha town to procure boro seeds during this peak sowing season as Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation stopped distribution of hybrid seeds two weeks ago due to their unavailability. Photo: STAR
Low quality seeds packaged under the label of well-known brands of high yielding and hybrid varieties have flooded local markets, while dealers and vendors are charging high prices in absence of proper monitoring of markets, especially in remote areas of the district. The situation during the peak sowing period may eventually hamper boro production in the area, said locals. Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) stopped distribution of BR 26 and BR 50 on the plea of unavailability two weeks ago. At present BR 29 seeds are being sold in the open markets in remote areas at Tk 450/- against the government stipulated price of Tk 360 per ten kg sack, farmers said. Farmers thronging markets to collect quality hybrid and HYV boro seeds are often cheated with fake seeds. "Last year a vendor cheated me with fake seeds that did not germinate and I had to procure boro seed for the second time. I cannot even rely on seeds that being sold under BADC labels in the open markets," said Jamal Mia, a farmer of Kholahati union in Sadar upazila. There are 84 seed dealers of BADC in Gaibandha district while over 500 vendors are involved in selling seeds in the district. But many of them are marketing fake seeds in different brands and names. According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), 5,008 tonnes of boro seeds are needed in the district this season. BADC supplied 591 tonnes and Agriculture Seed Distribution Centre contributed 480 tonnes while private seed producers and local farmers are supposed to supply the remaining amount, said the deputy director of DAE in the district. The present market rate of ACI brand BR 28 seed is Tk 400 per 2 kg packet, BRAC Sathi hybrid Tk 250 per one kg bag, BRAC BR 28 (HYV) Tk 125 per 2 kg bag, BRAC Teji hybrid Tk 280 per one kg bag, Raihan hybrid Tk 450 per 2 kg bag. There are several other brands of boro seeds in the market like dynamic seed, one seed, sonar bangla, Hira-2, ACI shera, lal teer, meghna, lal teer TR. Fake seeds are packaged under attractive covers, making them difficult to differentiate from genuine varieties, said Ramnath Saha, president of Gaibandha district seed dealers' association. A mobile court on November 23 seized 20 sacks of fake hybrid boro seeds from the shop of Mominul Islam on Sadullapur Road and fined him Tk 4,000. The seed packets were inscribed with Master Seeds, Keranipara Rangpur, but there was no license number, seal of BSTI and manufacturing and expiry date. Later those seeds were destroyed openly. Sadullapur police recently seized 300 sacks of boro seed from the godown of Sujon Seed Store at Hamindpur in Sadullapur upazila and arrested Kartik Chandra, a worker, on charge of packaging local species of paddy in the name of hybrid boro seed under BADC labels. Police also seized huge empty bags printed with BADC labels and packing machines. Serious action will be taken against the unscrupulous traders who deals in fake seeds, said AH Bazlur Rashid, deputy director of DAE in Gaibandha.
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