A large-scale seed and fertilizer falsification swam has come to light in the SRI Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, where irregularities are exposed and serious concerns are expressed about the health and safety of farmers and consumers.
Raids carried out in several factories through the State Agriculture and Consumer Affairs departments revealed a well -organized network that is involved in coloring seeds with carcinogenic chemicals and mixing fertilizers with stone powder, sand and dust, all to maximize the profit by maximizing the quality.
In some of these factories, colors were found in large drums. The factory owners would purchase seeds at very low prices of farmers, who added harmful carcinogenic color to them, pack them in attractive packages and later, sold them at much higher prices. The colors that are used were, according to the agricultural department, carcinogen of nature and as harmful if they are consumed. These seeds were supplied in various states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.
In such a factory, Shri Ram Seeds, the factory manager today admitted India that dyes were used to improve the ‘essence’ of seeds. Authorities found green dye that was used on green gram (moong) seeds and red dye on barley and guar seeds – chemicals that, according to agricultural officials, are carcinogenic and extremely harmful to human health.
“We found that colors were mixed in 3 to 4 factories, and we believe that they are a serious health risk,” said Satish Sharma, joint director of the Agriculture Department. Kirodi Lal Meena, the Minister of Agriculture of Rajasthan, who led several raids personally, said: “Seeds were mixed with color. It is carcinogenic and extremely harmful. We will seal this factory.”
In some of the factories it was found that seeds nor label were assessed and the factory owners had no good license for it. In one of the factories, seeds of different varieties were kept in one location, which, according to officials, was not allowed.
More than 40 factories that produce fertilizers have so far raid packaging seeds in different parts of Rajasthan, including in the VKI area of Jaipur, in the Jhotwara industrial area, in Kishangarh and Sri Ganganagar.
Last week, a raid was carried out together by the agricultural and consumer department in various places in the entire state, including Jaipur, Kishangarh and Sri Ganganagar to book those who surrender to the trade of false or falsified fertilizers and inferior quality seeds.
In several of the factories that were raided, it turned out that fertilizers were mixed with stone powder, sand and dust together with color and supplied to farmers in different parts of the country.
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