Deputy Commissioner S.J. Somashekhar has directed fertiliser dealers and distributors to ensure that farmers are not cheated through the sale of fake or substandard agricultural inputs and stressed the need to create greater awareness among farmers about identifying genuine fertilisers.
He was speaking while chairing the District-Level Task Force Committee meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Madikeri on Thursday to review measures for preventing the sale of substandard and counterfeit seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.
The Deputy Commissioner observed that, in recent days, complaints have been received regarding unauthorised and unlicensed traders allegedly cheating farmers by selling poor-quality and fake seeds, fertilisers and pesticides. He said such fraudulent practices not only result in financial losses for farmers but also adversely affect agricultural production.
He directed that fertilisers should be stocked according to demand and that farmers should be encouraged to use fertilisers scientifically while maintaining soil health. He further advised officials, dealers and distributors to work in close coordination to safeguard farmers’ interests.
Somashekhar said that the Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture, along with the Coffee Board and the Spices Board, should create greater awareness among farmers regarding the appropriate types of fertilisers to be used for different crops within their respective jurisdictions.
He also instructed officials to ensure that there is no disruption in the supply of fertilisers across the district and directed that any issues affecting supply should be brought immediately to the notice of the district administration.
Joint Director of Agriculture B.S. Chandrashekhar said that the Agriculture Department has initiated stringent measures to protect the interests of farmers and has instructed officials to closely monitor dealers involved in the sale of fake seeds and pesticides throughout the district.
He noted that with the commencement of the monsoon season, the department is taking steps to ensure the timely supply of quality agricultural inputs to farmers.  Chandrashekhar said that the District Task Force will continue to conduct surprise inspections of seed and pesticide retail outlets, warehouses and transport vehicles across the district to verify stock and quality. Samples of suspected substandard seeds and pesticides will be collected immediately and sent to quality control laboratories for analysis, and appropriate action will be initiated based on the laboratory reports.
He further stated that measures are being taken to monitor border areas, prevent the misuse of subsidisedfertilisers, strictly prohibit forced bundled sales and curb the distribution of fake and substandard fertilisers.
The Joint Director informed the meeting that under the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) component of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PMRKVY) for the year 2026-27, a total grant of Rs. 281.80 lakh has been sanctioned to Kodagu district as the mandatory Central and State Government share for the implementation of micro-irrigation projects.
He said the allocation has been made based on taluk-wise, component-wise and scheme-wise physical and financial action plans.
Deputy Commissioner S.J. Somashekhar observed that rural households are increasingly dependent on borewells for water supply and stressed that new borewells should be drilled only where genuinely necessary.
Reviewing the ongoing crop survey, Joint Director B.S. Chandrashekhar said that the monsoon crop survey has commenced across the district and that 78.29 per cent of the survey work has already been completed.
He informed the meeting that, for the year 2026-27, out of a total of 2,96,440 land parcels, 35,510 are classified as non-agricultural, while 2,60,930 agricultural plots are to be surveyed.
He added that the district’s principal crop, rainfed paddy, has been notified at the Gram Panchayat level, while irrigated paddy and rainfed musukinajola (fodder sorghum) have been notified at the hobli level under the crop insurance programme.
Chandrashekhar further announced that IndusInd General Insurance Company has been selected as the implementing agency for the Crop Insurance Scheme in Kodagu district for the year 2026-27.
Deputy Commissioner Somashekhar directed the insurance company to provide farmers and growers with clear information regarding the scheme, including eligibility criteria, premium rates, claim procedures and compensation norms.
The Joint Director stated that the Departments of Agriculture, Cooperation and Horticulture, along with banks, insurance companies and public service centres, will jointly undertake extensive awareness campaigns to educate farmers about the Crop Insurance Scheme.
He said awareness programmes will include posters, banners, farmers’ meetings and other publicity initiatives in all notified villages.
The insurance company will also undertake wide publicity regarding the scheme, receive and process proposals from registered farmers, appoint loss assessors within 48 hours of receiving reports of crop damage, and ensure that compensation is disbursed to eligible farmers within the stipulated time.
To provide financial protection against crop losses caused by drought and excessive rainfall, the Karnataka Raitha Suraksha Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has been implemented in Kodagu district for the year 2026-27. The Joint Director appealed to all eligible farmers to enrol under the scheme and avail its benefits.
For the current year, IndusInd General Insurance Company has been entrusted with implementing the Crop Insurance Scheme in the district.
The premium payable by farmers for foodgrain and oilseed crops during the kharif season has been fixed at 2 per cent of the sum insured.
Both loanee and non-loanee farmers are eligible to enrol through nationalised banks, Gram One Centres and Common Service Centres. Non-loanee farmers must submit copies of their Record of Rights (RTC), bank passbook and Aadhaar card while applying.
The premium payable per acre has been fixed as follows:
- Irrigated paddy: Rs. 879.01 per acre (Last date: 14 August 2026)
- Rainfed paddy: Rs. 611.91 per acre (Last date: 14 August 2026)
- Rainfed jowar: Rs. 546.35 per acre (Last date: 31 July 2026)
For further information, farmers may visit www.samrakshane.karnataka.gov.in or contact their nearest Raitha Samparka Kendra.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sahana S. Hadimani, Deputy Director of Horticulture H. Shashidhar, Deputy Director of Agriculture D.S. Somashekhar, District Supply Officer D. Narayana, Assistant Director of Horticulture Muthappa, Deputy Director of Land Records Niranjan, Lead Bank Manager Gangadhar Naik, DySP P.A. Suraj and Assistant Directors of Agriculture from all taluks were present at the meeting.
