The Hindu Business Line : Make cottonseed an essential commodity, AP urges Centre

Getting agressive
AP also planning to invoke provisions of Environment Protection Act.
Considering an Ordinance to control the seed business.

Hyderabad June 12 With the prospect of more companies defying its diktat on Bt-II pricing and control on cottonseed-related issues, the Andhra Pradesh Government is vying a variety of options, including seeking Centre's help to put cottonseed under Essential Commodities Act.

Other options

The other options are to invoke provisions of Environment Protection Act and bring an Ordinance to control the seed business leveraging the fact that agriculture is in the Concurrent List.

The idea is to retain the power of control on the cottonseed activity, particularly Bt cottonseed as the acreage went up significantly in the last two years.

On Tuesday, the Government issued `Express Circular Memo' to its Agricultural officials, asking them to invoke Environment Protection Act 1986 and Rules of 1989 and inspect and examine the objects (seed packets).

`Not essential item'

Hectic moves by the State Government followed a High Court observation that "prima facie" the cottonseed cannot be dealt with as an essential commodity in view of the amendment to the Act for the present".

While Mahyco Seeds Ltd, armed with the High Court judgment in its favour, and a few other companies decided to sell Bt-II seed in the State daring the Government's diktat on the price, the Andhra Pradesh Government, which has been insisting that the seed price should not cross Rs 750 (the same price as Bt-I), has sought the Centre's help to control the cottonseed activity. It also directed the Agriculture Department officials to "be alert" and ensure "not even one single packet of poor quality seeds should reach the farmer".

State Govt's move

Worried over the prospect of "poor quality seeds" being circulated, Mr N Raghuveera Reddy, Minister for Agriculture, told Business Line that he would take up the issue with Mr Sharad Pawar, the Union Minister of Agriculture, in New Delhi on Wednesday, when he meets him to discuss the groundnut issue.

Meanwhile, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, has written a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, explaining the adverse fallout of the deletion of "cottonseed" from the Essential Commodities Act last year.

"As a result, the Seeds (Control) Order promulgated under Essential Commodities Act doesn't apply to the cottonseed," he said.

Seed inspectors

Stating that this would prove to be detrimental to the interests of the farmers, Dr Rajasekhara Reddy reminded that the seed inspectors of the Department of Agriculture in the State used to regulate the production, supply and distribution of cottonseed, notified, non-notified and Bt cottonseed.

More Stories on : Cotton | Seeds | Andhra Pradesh

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