Cotton farmers to stage massive protest against seed companies

Gadwal: In what is expected to be a major show of strength by the farming community, hundreds of seed cotton farmers from across the district are set to march into Gadwal on May 31 to protest the exploitation and fraudulent practices of seed companies.

The protest is being organised under the banner of the Nadigadda Rights Struggle Committee, a grassroots movement that has been actively fighting for the rights of seed cotton farmers. Speaking at a press conference held at the committee’s office in Dharur mandal, mandal president Nettempadu Govind made a clarion call to all farmers in the district to rise in unity and demand justice.

“Every day, seed companies and their organisers are coming up with new tricks to cheat farmers. From manipulating packet prices to falsely declaring quality seeds as failed, they are pushing our farmers into a cycle of debt and despair,” Govind said, voicing the growing anger among the rural community.

He alleged that companies are deliberately avoiding the mandatory increase in seed packet rates while simultaneously rejecting good quality seeds under the pretext of failure in sample testing. This manipulation, Govind said, is costing farmers not just financially, but emotionally and socially, as many fall into the trap of loans and crop failures due to poor quality seeds. In response to these grave injustices, the committee will submit a detailed report to the District Collector on May 31, outlining the systemic exploitation of seed cotton farmers. The report will also contain specific cases of fraud, pricing irregularities, and failed compensation mechanisms.

Govind made it clear that the struggle would continue until accountability is enforced.

“This is not a protest—it’s a battle for survival. If we don’t raise our voices now, there will be no future for seed cotton farmers in this district,” he warned.

The press conference was attended by key leaders of the movement, including district leaders Jammanna, vice presidents Adavi Anjaneyulu and Maldakal Anjaneyulu, mandal secretary Ramu, and senior members like Veeresh and Govindu, who all pledged to mobilise farmers from every village in the region for the May 31 protest.

The upcoming rally is being seen as a decisive moment in the seed cotton farmers’ struggle for justice. With the support of rural leadership and farmer collectives, the protest aims to put intense pressure on the administration to intervene, regulate seed companies, and ensure a fair agricultural ecosystem in the region.