Gadwal: B.M. Santosh, the District Collector of Jogulamba Gadwal, emphasized the importance of teamwork among government officials, seed organizers, and companies to provide farmers with high-quality seeds.
On Wednesday, he led a meeting at the IDOC meeting hall about cotton seed production. This gathering included agriculture department officials, representatives from seed companies, and seed organizers.
The Collector mentioned that this year’s good rainfall offers a great chance for successful farming. He encouraged everyone to work together to prevent crop loss and boost farmers’ earnings. Cotton seed production is vital for the district, covering around 30,000 acres and involving 35,000 to 40,000 farmers.
Collector Santosh urged cooperation to ensure farmers achieve good harvests and benefit all involved. He asked seed companies to share their plans for the current year’s seed production. They must also report last year’s results, detailing the number of farmers with successful Grow-Out Test (GOT) seeds and any failed batches.
He stressed that seed companies should support farmers by offering technical help. Companies should train farmers regularly, using agricultural experts to address issues like extreme weather, pests, and diseases.
The Collector warned that selling fake seeds will lead to strict action. He also stated that using child labor in cotton seed production is banned and will result in severe penalties.
The meeting was attended by Joint Director of Agriculture Jaggu Naik, District Agriculture Officer Sakriya Naik, ADA Sangeetha Lakshmi, Technical ADA Ramesh, Mandal Agriculture Officers, seed company representatives, and seed organizers.
