Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, today carried out a surprise inspection of soybean fields in Chhirakheda village, Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh, following complaints that herbicide applications had completely destroyed farmers’ crops.
Arriving unexpectedly at the fields, the Minister personally reviewed the situation in the presence of hundreds of farmers and agricultural department officials. During the inspection, he found that instead of soybean plants, only weeds remained, and the crop had been completely burnt. Farmers alleged that the damage was caused by a product manufactured by HPM Company.
Chouhan stated that the issue was not limited to a single field, as several farmers had reported similar complaints. He announced that a high-level team of agricultural scientists would conduct an on-site inspection and that strict action would be taken against the company found responsible.
Following his directions, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has immediately constituted an inquiry committee. The panel will be chaired by Dr. J.S. Mishra, Director of the ICAR-Directorate of Weed Research (DWR), Jabalpur, and will also include Dr. S.R.K. Singh, Director of ATARI Zone 9, along with the Deputy Director of Agriculture (Raisen-Vidisha) and the head of the local Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). The committee is scheduled to visit the affected fields on 18 August.
The Minister strongly remarked, “If a farmer’s crop is lost, his life is lost. Farmers will definitely be given relief, and the responsibility will lie with the company.” He further clarified that the earlier report submitted by KVK Raisen was not accurate, and therefore, a fresh investigation by the new team is essential.
Chouhan assured farmers that they would receive complete justice, and announced that a nationwide campaign would soon be launched against companies producing fake pesticides, fertilizers, and seeds that deceive farmers and sell harmful products.
By
