Agri. officials gave us fodder seeds instead of barnyard millet, allege farmers in Madurai

Madurai farmers appeal to District Collector for compensation due to wrong seed sold by T. Kallupatti agriculture office. 20 farmers allege they bought wrong seed, sowed on 105-acre land, incurring ₹15,000/acre loss. Officials deny allegations, say they sold only kuthiraivali, will check fields to confirm.

About 20 farmers from Peraiyur taluk in Madurai district appealed to the District Collector M. S. Sangeetha on Friday during the farmers’ grievance redress meeting to give them compensation as they alleged that they were sold a wrong seed instead of kuthiraivali (barnyard millet). 

The farmers said they had bought the seeds from the T. Kallupatti agriculture office in September. Around 20 farmers who had sowed the seeds on 105-acre of land in the last month learned that they were wrongly given the seeds of a grass which was used as fodder for cattle.  

M. Kannan, a farmer from Peraiyur, said he sowed the seeds bought from the agriculture office on his 10-acre-land. “It was only in October we learnt that it was some type of grass and not kuthiraivalli but we had already spent around ₹15,000 per acre to raise the crops,” he added.  

Further, he said, “the agriculture department officials were not ready to hear their grievances and they refused to provide us with any compensation.”

“This year, we received a good amount of rainfall, but due to the mistake of the officials we are suffering,” he added.  

“During December, some of us usually sow sesame seeds but now we cannot cut the crop as officials need to study the lands before we are awarded compensation,” he added. “When we met the officials at the local agriculture office, they said they will study the field as there could have been some mistake, but earlier this month fearing the higher officials they are denying that they made a mistake,” said Mr. Kannan.  

Similarly, K. Ganapathy, a farmer from Salupapatti in Peraiyur taluk, said he had sowed the same seeds he bought from the T. Kallupatti office on his 2.5-acre-land.