Telangana Agriculture Secretary Parthasarathi released an official note today stating that the State government was keen on protecting farmers from and eliminating spurious seed flowing into the market.
Parthasarathy stated the State government issued an order stating new nursery rules to regulate spurious seedlings that caused losses to the farmers. He also said that in the State 1,65,466 hectares of chilly and vegetables cultivation was being taken up, for which 1,342 crore seedlings was required. To prevent supply of spurious seedlings, the New Nursery Rules 2017 had been framed, he said.
A similar nursery act was passed in 2010 for which the AP Registration of Horticulture Nurseries (Regulation) Rules 2012, were framed which mainly focused on production of fruit plants. But that didn't prevent losses from occuring, he said.
But now, that would change as supply of transplanted seedlings for all horticultural crops had been included in the existing rules. The new rules mainly focus on the infrastructure required for theproduction of healthy and pests- and disease-free seedlings, he said.
The persons who violate the Nursery Rules, 2017, would be punished with a penalty of Rs. 50,000 or one year imprisonment, or both.