Farmers suffer due to poor-quality seeds,seek redressal

In 2007,Baljinder Singh,a farmer from Muktsar district,who owns only 1.5-acre agricultural land,purchased BT cotton seed from a trader at Gidderbaha grain market for Rs 2,250. Baljinder said he had been assured that the seeds would yield 12 to 14 quintals of cotton crop. Baljinder,who initially filed a complaint,said despite taking good care of the crop and spending Rs 13,750 on fertilisers,irrigation,pesticides and payment to labourers,the plants neither grew to proper height,nor flowered. Aggrieved that the seeds were not certified and of dubious quality,Baljinder filed a complaint with the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum,Muktsar.

After considering the case,the Forum directed the dealer and the Mumbai-based supplier to pay Rs 21,000 to Baljinder as compensation for his loss,Rs 5,000 for the harassment caused to him,and Rs 1,000 as litigation cost. The dealer and the supplier challenged the order at the Punjab Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

The Commission heard the arguments offered by both sides,and then held that it had been proved that the seed were of bad quality. Had other factors been responsible,the seed would not have germinated or the plant would have died down at the bud stage,said the Commission,and upheld the order delivered by the Forum.

In another case,Punjab Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission had directed a cotton-seed manufacturer and a trader to pay Rs 6.3 lakh to six farmers in Abohar for supplying substandard seed,due to which the farmers suffered 70% damage to their cotton crop.

The farmers had purchased 100 bags of the seed,which was claimed to be of good quality. They sowed it in 45-acre land,and spent Rs 2.5 lakh on spray,irrigation and fertilisers. But,the plants did not register a normal growth,and flowered poorly. The farmers complained to the sub-divisional magistrate,and the area’s agriculture development officer confirmed the loss of crop. When the trader did not respond to the farmers’ demand for compensation,they filed a case with the District Forum,Bathinda.

The trader contested the farmers’ claim. He said no guarantee of the yield could be given to the buyer,because the result depended on many factors such as agricultural practices,application of seed ratio,climatic conditions,watering intervals,attack of pests and diseases,doses of fertiliser or pesticides and soil type.

The forum,however,gave its ruling in favour of the farmers and asked the trader to pay a compensation of Rs 8.19 lakh to the farmers,with interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum. The forum also directed the trader to refund Rs 33,500 to the farmers at the same rate of interest. The trader appealed against the order to the commission.

The trader challenged the Forum’s decision at the Punjab Consumer Commission. Here too,the Commission upheld the decision given by the Forum,and directed the trader and the seed supplier to compensate the farmers.