HYDERABAD: The crop loss in 2,186 acres across 18 villages in Mulugu district exposed the vulnerability of farmers working without safeguards in securing mutual agreements with seed companies.“Farmers lack awareness about the varieties of seeds, pesticides, and fertilisers they receive from these organisers and simply use whatever is provided for cultivation. These transactions occur without formal agreements,” said K Narasimha Murthy, a villager of Chiruthapally. According to him, the seed companies failed to implement the mandatory buy-back arrangement, which requires a guaranteed payment of Rs 70,000 per acre regardless of yield. “Given the circumstances, we decided to establish a formal agreement directly with seed companies to ensure farmers receive the rightful amount after yield,” he added.
The buyback system in seed production is a method where farmers produce seeds on their land, and the seed is then bought back by the producer or a designated agency at a pre-agreed price, often with technical support and quality control measures. This system is used to increase availability of quality seeds and improve the livelihoods of farmers.On the other hand, farmers indicate that their financial constraints compel them to engage in contract farming, as they lack sufficient funds for maize cultivation. The cost of Rs 60,000 per acre for seeds, fertilisers, and farming operations is beyond their means, making independent farming impossible for these tribal agriculturists. “We’ve engaged in contract farming over the past eight years, and this marks the first instance of encountering losses. The situation compelled us to organise widespread protests and agitations bringing together hundreds of farmers from Feb 11 to June 15, with seed companies ultimately agreeing to compensate us. Although over 900 farmers were impacted by these problematic seeds, many remained silent, fearing potential repercussions from these companies,” said P Rambabu, a farmer in Yogitta Nagar. Farmers expressed their displeasure as seed firms assured them of getting 4 tonnes to 4.5 tonnes of maize per acre. However, they were left bewildered when the actual harvest yielded less than 1 tonne per acre. “The harvest this season has been extremely poor. Previously, the seeds provided by organisers consistently yielded at least 3 tonnes of maize per acre. Last year my three-acre crop produced 10 tonnes of maize, but this year the same area barely yielded one tonne. ,” said P Krishna Murthy, a farmer.
