Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan surprisingly visited Soybean fields in Chirakheda village of Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh after receiving complaints about the destruction of the crops following the use of herbicides. While inspecting the fields, the Minister discovered that the soybean fields were overrun with weeds and the crops had been completely burned. Citing the reason, the farmers claimed that the loss occurred due to the chemical supplied by a private company.
What did the Agriculture Minister say about Soybean Fields?
Addressing farmers and officials present at the site, he said, “This is not only about one farmer’s land. Several farmers have reported similar losses. A farmer’s crop is his life; if it is gone, his life is destroyed. Farmers will get relief, and the responsibility will rest with the company.” Not only this, but the Minister also announced that a high-level scientific committee has been constituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to investigate the matter. The investigation team will be led by Dr JS Mishra, Director of the Directorate of Weed Research (DWR), Jabalpur, along with Dr SRK Singh, Director of ATARI Zone 9, and some senior officials from the Agriculture Department of Raisen and Vidisha districts.
Agriculture Minister dismisses report by KVK
Furthermore, the Minister dismissed the previous report submitted by scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Raisen. He called that report inaccurate. “This new team will conduct a detailed investigation, and strict action will be taken against the company if found guilty,” he said. In addition, he assured that the Centre would launch a nationwide crackdown on companies selling counterfeit pesticides, seeds, and fertilisers, saying that they are cheating the farmers and putting their livelihoods at risk.