KATHMANDU, March 25: Makardhwaj Prasad Sah of Pastoka VDC-4 in Bara district is in the capital at a time when he should be busy on his farm. Sah´s dream of earning at least Rs 600,000 from his maize harvest was shattered when he saw that there was no grain at all in the maize plants in his over three hectares of cultivation.
“I am finished thanks to the complete failure of the maize plants to yield grain as the hybrid seeds I used were sterile,” a dejected Sah told myrepublica.com on Thursday. [break]
He is among over 100 farmers who have come here from different districts including Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Sarlahi and Nawalparasi, which are the most affected by the fake hybrid seeds. Most of the farmers were carrying with them the maize plants that yielded no grain.
“I have no idea how I am going to repay a loan of Rs 200,000 from the Agriculture Development Bank and local money lenders as my entire maize cultivation has been unproductive,” he said. He had used the 30V-92 variety of hybrid seed produced by Pioneer Company of India. He spent altogether Rs 250,000 for the three hectares of maize cultivation.
The story of Suresh Subedi in Haraya VDC- 6 of Sarlahi is no different from Sah´s. He spent more than Rs 300,000 -- (Rs 100,000 from Agriculture Development Bank and Rs 200,000 from money lenders)-- for his maize crop on two hectares, planting the 30 V 92, 9091 hybrid seed variety from Pinnacle Company and Pioneer Company of India.
“We have become victims of the government´s defunct quarantine system which failed to check such fake hybrids. The government should fully compensate for the loss suffered by farmers,” Subedi said, venting his ire to government officials.
A delegation of the victimized farmers told their story at a hearing at the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives (MoAC) where Agriculture Minister Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav and other senior officials of the ministry were present.
Haji Rasul Ansari of Bara, President of Nepal Farmers´ Interest Protection Committee--an adhoc committee formed to raise voice for victimized farmers--demanded that the government provide immediate relief and full compensation to the farmers for the loss they suffered.
According to him, a total of 46,000 hectares of maize in different districts has failed due to the hybrid seeds. “Farmers have suffered a loss of at least Rs 180,000 per hectare. We won´t stop our agitation against the cheating of farmers until the government compensates them as per the loss suffered,” said Ansari.
According to him, 20,000 hectares of maize cultivation in Bara, 15,000 hectares in Sarlahi, 5,000 in Rautahat, 1,000 in Parsa and 5,000 more in Nawalparasi have been ruined by unfertile seed.
Farmers had used different seed varieties produced by Pioneer Company, Pinnacle Company, Seed Tech Company, Sandhya Company and Tropical Company.
Agriculture Minister Yadav tried to soothe the irate farmers with assurances of compensation from the government as soon as possible.
“We are immediately bringing a proposal to the cabinet on a relief package for farmers who lost their maize output,” Yadav said. He urged the farmers to suspend their stir until the government relief is announced. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has already given assurances to farmers of due compensation.
Dr Hari Dahal, spokesperson of MoAC, said 80 percent of maize cultivation in Bara, 70 percent in Parsa, 55 percent in Rautahat, 40 percent in Sarlahi and 20 percent in Nawalparasi has failed. Dahal said MoAC is proposing a cash relief, waiver of land tax and free distribution of vegetable seeds to the affected farmers.
prabhakar@myrepublica.com