Maoists warn seed companies, farmers

WARANGAL: Maoists have warned corporate seed companies to desist from making farmers victims of their experiments. They have also asked farmers not to fall into the trap of seed corporates.

In a letter released here, the banned extremist group’s Venkatapuram-Wazedu area committee secretary Sudhakar told farmers that by cultivating hybrid seeds for companies like Syngenta, CP, Pioneer, Kaveri and Hytech, they end up using high quantities of fertilisers, making their soil unfit for cultivation in the long run.

Sudhakar accused corporate companies of minting money for themselves while turning farmers into labourers in their own fields, right from sowing of seeds, irrigating fields and marketing those seeds, without entering into any agreement with the farmers.

If any damage occurs to the crop due to a natural calamity like sudden rainfall, pest or fungal attack, the entire loss has to be borne by farmers and companies do not pay any compensation to them.

The extremist group’s secretary accused three companies – Syngenta, Pioneer and CP and their representatives Godavarti Narasimha Murthy and Sunkara Prasad of cheating farmers. The Maoist charged the company representatives of claiming compensation from government for the crop loss and not paying anything to farmers.

Sudhakar demanded that agents of corporate companies pay ₹1 lakh per acre as compensation to farmers and warned them against cheating the innocent farmers.

He appealed to farmers not to get trapped by seed companies and become bonded labourers in their own fields.