Soybean plants grow in a field in Pune district
So far, we have found that the issue could involve around 1,000 quintals of seeds distributed to farmers. Officials said their credibility in 50 years old and their seeds have delivered positive results for farmers all these years. Mahabeej should compensate us at the earliest so that small farmers like us can survive and prepare for the next season,” Umbare, who owns two acres which depend on rainfall, said.
Devram Umbare, a farmer from Londewadi village in Jalna district, said, “I lost three crucial weeks.
Prafulla Lahane, general manager (quality control and research), Mahabeej, said, “Our internal investigation is still going on. Farmers who sowed on time have much better crops,” Umbare said. Mahabeej said it conducted laboratory and field emergence tests before releasing the seeds into the market.
We are verifying each lot. The problem has also left farmers worried about the impact of delayed sowing on the final harvest. I eventually had to resow seeds from another company. Germination has been decent, but the crop is almost a month behind the normal season. The plants are not growing well. With rainfall now uncertain, he feared the delayed crop could suffer further losses. “I am worried about a massive loss at harvest. This investigation is crucial to understand the root cause and maintain high standards in seed manufacturing, they added.