Nagaon Farmers Hit by Rising Seed Scam and Rampant Licensing Violations

Nagaon: As the Rabi season gathers pace and Boro paddy fields across Assam prepare for sowing, farmers in Nagaon district find themselves staring at a crisis that has quietly grown into a menace. Fake seeds flood the markets. What began as a few scattered complaints has now erupted into a full-blown agricultural scandal, hitting cultivators at the very heart of their livelihoods.

Across the western belt, and in weekly and bi-weekly markets throughout the district, substandard and counterfeit seeds are being sold openly. Many packets carry no labels, no company seals, and no certification, despite mandatory regulations that every seed packet must display proper authentication. The fallout has already been felt in previous seasons, where vast stretches of farmland produced barren stalks instead of grain, leaving many farmers financially crippled and emotionally exhausted.

What has angered the farming community even more is the alleged inaction of the Agriculture Department and the State Seed Corporation. Though the issue has been widely discussed in farmer circles for months, no visible crackdown or systematic enquiry has taken place. The silence from authorities, farmers say, is only emboldening those responsible.

The crisis is not confined to Boro or Rabi crops alone. Even during the summer paddy season, cultivators reported similar losses due to fraudulent seeds. With each passing year, the problem has snowballed, prompting many to call it a “seed scam epidemic” gripping Nagaon.

Equally disturbing are revelations about licensing irregularities in the trade of seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides. Reliable sources claim that more than 300 licences have been issued across the district, but nearly 30 per cent of the license holders do not meet the mandatory academic requirements. Several individuals are alleged to have secured licences through “backdoor” arrangements, bypassing essential qualifications like B.Sc. (Agriculture) or B.Sc. (Chemistry).

These unqualified dealers, farmers allege, are selling banned pesticides, poor-quality fertilisers, and counterfeit seeds. Besides lowering crop productivity, the unchecked circulation of harmful agrochemicals raises serious concerns about the long-term health of soils and public safety. Surprisingly, even some well-known seed companies in Nagaon are now under scrutiny for allegedly repackaging uncertified seeds and pushing them into the market.

Amid rising outrage, farmers are demanding immediate intervention from both the district administration and the agricultural authorities. Their key demands include:

A thorough probe into the process of issuing agricultural input licences

Immediate cancellation of licences issued to unqualified individuals

Rigorous inspections of all seed warehouses and product stocks

Strict legal action against those involved in selling fake seeds and banned agrochemicals

Closure of all unauthorised shops dealing in agricultural inputs

With the sowing season underway, farmers say time is running out. They urge officials to act swiftly, not only to prevent further loss but to restore faith in a system that they feel has repeatedly failed them. The soil is ready, but trust, once eroded, is harder to fix.

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