A victim of spurious seeds at a village in Kendrapara. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, March 10: An inquiry has been ordered into the alleged supply of substandard and spurious vegetable seeds to farmers in the aftermath of cyclone Phailin in October last year.

The vegetable growers had received seeds at a highly subsidised price. But, their joy was short-lived. Toiling out in the field, they managed to grow the plants after the seeds underwent germination process. However, their labour did not bear fruit. The farmers are left to fend themselves with the seeds turning out to be spurious.

“An inquiry has been ordered into the supply of substandard vegetable seeds. The horticulture department has been asked to expeditiously probe the charge and submit a fact-finding report,” said Kendrapara collector Ratnakar Rout.

Assistant director of the horticulture department Himanshu Sekhar Achraya said:

“We have received allegations about the spurious seeds. We are inquiring into the reason behind the non-germination seeds. A report in this regard has been submitted to competent authorities. A Mumbai-based private supplier had provided the seeds.”

“After the Phailin, the Odisha Agro Industry Corporation provided 24 types of vegetable seeds to around 5,000 farmers of Kendrapara district. The seeds were nominally priced,” he said.

“Even after three month of wait, the plants are not bearing fruit. By borrowing money, I had taken up vegetable cultivation,” rued Hemanta Kar, a farmer from Daragochi village in Marsaghai block.

Hemanta had sowed tomato, brinjal, ladies fingers, bitter gourd and cabbage seeds. “My endeavour has come a cropper. Nothing has come out of it, the plant grew but did not bear any fruits,” he said.

Farmers from this part had already bore the brunt of Phailin. Now, the government has played a cruel joke upon them. Instead of helping them out, the government agencies have let them down by supplying spurious seeds, said representative of the district krushak sabha Gayadhar Dhal.