Agricultural seeds are the cornerstone of food security. Bangladesh being a typical agrarian economy is thus dependent on a steady supply of seeds. But farmers of our country are regularly cheated by the seed traders. My father is a farmer and lives in Nilphamari. I notice that he usually procures seeds of different crops from local seed dealers. The dealers buy poor quality seeds from traders and earn high profits.
There are some anonymous seed companies who are not registered with the government and supply seed packets carrying no name or identity on them. They collect seed from the farmers at low prices, pack them and sell at high prices in the next season to farmers. These traders do not follow seed quality standard of the seed certifying agency (SCA), nor do they preserve the seeds in ideal conditions. These seeds are found to record less germination as well as low yields. These seed traders motivate farmers in various ways as most of the farmers are illiterate. As a result government supplied seeds from BARI, BRRI etc. are not popular with the farmers.
The Agriculture Extension Officers in our upazila does not do his job properly. I went to visit him several times, but could not meet him for once. I requested the higher authorities to take action against him, but nothing has happened as yet.
I think, the unauthorised seed companies should be taken into task and their operations should be shut down immediately.
Md. Imamul Islam
B.Sc.Ag. (Hons.)
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University
Dhaka-1207
sopnochari.pathik@gmail.com
Farmers cheated by seed traders
FE Team | Published: December 28, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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