Monjur Morshed Tuhin, Patuakhali

Farmers had purchased paddy seeds hoping for a good harvest. The sacks carried a yellow tag indicating government certification, the company’s brand name and the identity of a high-yielding rice variety. Following the recommended procedures, they prepared the seeds and planted them in their Aman-season fields.

But long before the normal harvesting period, panicles have emerged from nearly half of the plants in some clumps. With immature grains appearing prematurely, farmers in Kalapara of Patuakhali are now worried whether the affected plants will survive until the normal harvesting period.

Farmers allege that they have faced the problem after purchasing BRRI Dhan-49 seeds marketed under the United Seed brand. Similar complaints of premature panicle emergence have been reported from the fields of more than 50 farmers in the Alipur and Mahipur areas of Kalapara.

Farmers fear that because the grains within the same clump are reaching maturity at different times, those that have emerged early may deteriorate before the normal harvesting period. As a result, they may not obtain the expected quantity of mature rice per unit of land. This could turn their entire investment—from land preparation to fertiliser, pesticides, labour and other production costs—into a financial loss.

Field-level interviews with farmers revealed that they purchased the United Seed-branded seeds from various seed dealers and retailers in Alipur and Mahipur markets. They said they paid the maximum retail price printed on the sacks.

They subsequently used the seeds to produce seedlings themselves before planting them in their fields.

According to the farmers, they noticed nothing unusual during seed preparation or transplantation. However, within about 15 days of transplantation, panicles began emerging prematurely from the rice plants. Initially, they considered the incidents isolated. But similar symptoms later appeared in the fields of several farmers in the same area.

The farmers then contacted seed sellers, dealers and representatives involved in the supply of the seeds.

Following the complaints, local dealers and retailers reportedly assured the farmers that they would be compensated for their losses. However, there is still no written assurance regarding how the losses will be assessed, who will pay the compensation or when it will be provided. This has increased the farmers’ anxiety.

The sacks held by the affected farmers identify the seeds as United Seed-branded BRRI Dhan-49. The 10-kilogram sacks state an 80 percent germination rate, 98 percent purity and a maximum retail price of Tk 1,200. Farmers allege that although the expiry date covers the current Boro/Aman season, no production date is mentioned on the sacks.

The farmers said they trusted the seeds because the sacks identified them as high-yielding varieties and carried a yellow tag. They believed that purchasing certified seeds meant that the source and marketing process were subject to government oversight.

Now, however, the premature emergence of panicles has raised questions about that confidence.

The issue is not merely about the variety of the seed or its laboratory quality. Rather, questions are being raised about how seeds carrying a government certification-related yellow tag reached farmers through multiple dealers and retailers, and how closely the entire marketing and distribution process was monitored.

According to information from the Patuakhali District Seed Certification Office, there are 124 registered seed dealers in the district. Of them, 12 are registered in Kalapara upazila, while three operate in the Alipur-Mahipur area.

Mohammad Sohel, proprietor of Howlader Krishi Ghar in Alipur Bazar, identified himself as a registered distributor of United Seed for Mahipur upazila. He claimed that at least 20 local retailers had purchased seeds using his distributor code. Among them were Abu Dealer, Chan Mia Bepari and Ali Seed Ghar.

According to Sohel, he purchases packaged seeds directly from the company and sells them to various dealers and farmers. He said he sold approximately 1,200 sacks of United Seed during the current season.

This information has emerged as an important lead in the investigation. If at least 20 retailers obtained seeds through a single distributor code and around 1,200 sacks were marketed, it is necessary to determine which markets received those seeds, how many farmers used them and where any unsold seeds from the same consignment remain after complaints were raised.

The trail of the seeds reaching farmers’ fields could become clear if the purchase and sales records of each consignment, dealer-wise distribution records, batch or consignment numbers printed on the sacks and sales records maintained by retailers are examined.

Farmers said that the same brand of seeds was available at around 10 establishments in Alipur and Mahipur, including Ali Seed Ghar, Akn Seed Ghar and Howlader Krishi Ghar. They claimed that the writing, design and colour of the sacks were similar.

This means that packaged seeds from a particular company reached farmers through multiple retailers in the local market. Therefore, determining responsibility cannot be limited to a single seller or a single farmer’s transaction. The entire supply chain involving the company, distributor, dealers and retail sellers needs to be examined.

Kalur Musulli, a farmer from Khajura village under Latachapli Union, cultivated BRRI Dhan-49 using United Seed on nearly two acres of land. He purchased the seeds from local seller Haji Mohammad Chan Mia and later produced seedlings himself from those seeds before planting them in his field.

Farmer Mohammad Mehedi Khan used the same seeds on one kani and six kora of land. According to him, immature grains have emerged ahead of schedule from many rice clumps in his field.

After bearing the costs of fertiliser, pesticides and cultivation, he fears that the entire investment could turn into a loss because of the problem.

Sohel, proprietor of Howlader Krishi Ghar in Alipur, said he had contacted the affected farmers after receiving their complaints. He said the farmers had been assured that their losses would be assessed and compensation would be provided in consultation with the company.

Kalapara Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Arafat Hossain said he had heard that some farmers had suffered losses after using seeds of a particular brand marketed in the area. He said he would discuss with the relevant parties how compensation could be provided to the affected farmers.

Mohammad Saidur Rahman, District Seed Certification Officer, said the certification of United Seed carrying the yellow tag had been issued directly by the ministry. If the quality of any seed was found to be substandard, the company and the relevant dealers would be responsible.

However, the farmers’ questions are not limited to compensation.

How did seeds carrying a government certification-related yellow tag reach farmers through multiple dealers and retailers? Where are the records of each stage of the supply chain? What action was taken regarding the remaining stock after complaints were received? And was there any defect at any stage of the supply chain that resulted in premature panicle emergence in farmers’ fields

The farmers’ losses are not limited to the Tk 1,200 price of a single sack of seed. They have invested significant amounts of money in land preparation, seedling production, transplantation, fertiliser, pesticides, irrigation and labour.

If the premature emergence of panicles reduces the quantity of mature rice they can harvest, the farmers themselves will have to bear the financial burden.

The farmers are demanding not merely assurances of compensation but an impartial investigation into the entire supply chain of the yellow-tagged seeds, including dealers’ purchase and sales records, documents showing supplies from the company to the distributor and the actual extent of losses suffered in the affected fields.

If the premature emergence of panicles is found to have resulted from a failure at any stage of the supply chain, the farmers are demanding that responsibility be fixed and that the affected farmers receive proper compensation.