The action comes amid more than 22,000 complaints of poor soybean seed germination reported across Maharashtra this season
These are serious violations,” Sunil Borkar, director (quality control and inputs), told TOI . “Most importantly, the firm failed to provide evidence of its seed production programme for any of its varieties during the hearing. That process was also not followed.
A firm cannot sell last year’s seeds without revalidation.
The investigation focused on soybean variety R 555, developed by a Pune-based private firm and distributed by the MP firm last year. The firm introduced a new variety, Pushpa R 555, this season without obtaining permission under its licence and admitted to selling leftover bags of R 555 without revalidation, according to officials. This amounts to a gross violation of Seeds Act, 1966.
Therefore, we cancelled its licence,” Borkar said. “Seed production programme records, seed supply details and other necessary documents were not submitted during the hearing.