Jaipur, May 26 (IANS). Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena took major action against the seed mafia in Rajasthan by suddenly raiding illegal factories running in RIICO industrial area located in Chomu near Jaipur.
Acting without prior notice, the Minister visited two unauthorized units where a huge racket of fake groundnut seeds was allegedly being run.
According to reports, these factories were repackaging substandard seeds under fake branding by misusing the name of a reputed Sikar-based company.
Officials said these units were illegally packing low-quality groundnuts and selling them as certified high-yield seed varieties, including popular varieties developed by agricultural research institutes such as RG-510, SG-551 and RG-578.
During the raid, officials recovered huge amount of material from the premises.
This included about 60 lakh empty sacks and packaging bags bearing the labels of reputed seed companies, as well as about 2 lakh bags of raw groundnuts purchased at throwaway prices from the open market.
Investigators also found industrial machinery used to peel peanuts and pack them into branded seed bags, indicating a well-planned and large-scale counterfeit production system.
Scientists from the Agriculture Department inspected the seized material and found that the peanuts contained a toxic fungus called aflatoxin, which is known to cause serious health risks.
Experts warned that if such contaminated seeds are used for farming, the crop could be seriously damaged.
Consuming aflatoxin-contaminated produce can also lead to long-term health risks, including serious liver damage and cancer.
Officials said the seized stock became unfit for agricultural use or human consumption due to the presence of fungus, adding a serious public health aspect to the racket.
The minister said such illegal activities have seriously damaged farmers’ confidence in certified seed varieties and affected Rajasthan’s agricultural reputation in international markets.
He said peanut exports from the state were quite good earlier, but exports to some countries have been banned in recent years due to concerns over quality and adulteration.
Officials said the gang is not only cheating farmers by selling fake seeds at inflated prices, but also threatens to cause long-term damage to soil health, crop productivity and export credibility.
–IANS
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