**Executive Summary**
Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered immediate legal action and compensation for farmers in Madhya Pradesh following the supply of substandard bitter gourd seeds by Nunhems India Private Limited. An FIR has been registered against the company under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Essential Commodities Act, and Seeds Act, alongside a ban on the "Rubasta" seed variety. These measures reflect a zero-tolerance policy toward agricultural malpractice and a commitment to protecting the livelihoods and capital of affected cultivators.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Background of the Incident**
* Farmers from Dhar and Khargone districts reported severe losses in their bitter gourd crops after purchasing seeds and saplings in November 2025.
* The crops failed to yield expected results, with fruits remaining small, turning yellow, and falling prematurely.
* A preliminary inquiry by agricultural scientists confirmed that substandard seeds and saplings were misrepresented and sold as certified material.
**Legal and Administrative Actions**
* FIR No. 266 was registered at the Manawar police station in Dhar district against Nunhems India Private Limited, Hyderabad.
* The case is filed under Sections 318(4) and 324(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (2023), Sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act (1955), and Section 19 of the Seeds Act (1966).
* The government has imposed an immediate ban on the "Rubasta" bitter gourd seed variety to prevent further damage to farmers.
**Government Directives and Policy**
* Minister Chouhan directed officials to ensure affected farmers receive prompt and adequate compensation for their financial losses.
* The Ministry reiterated that any fraud, negligence, or supply of fake agricultural inputs (seeds, pesticides, etc.) will face strict statutory action.
* The intervention is framed as a move to ensure accountability in the agricultural input supply chain and to safeguard the trust and hard work of the farming community.
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers of Dhar and Khargone**
**Impact**
Cultivators suffered significant economic losses, damage to their livelihoods, and loss of invested capital due to crop failure.
**Action Required**
Affected farmers must engage with departmental officials to facilitate the process of securing compensation and provide evidence of losses as required by the investigation.
**Nunhems India Private Limited**
**Impact**
The company is facing criminal charges, an active police investigation, and a ban on its "Rubasta" bitter gourd seed variety.
**Action Required**
The company must respond to the FIR and legal proceedings initiated under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant agricultural acts.
**Ministry and Agricultural Officials**
**Impact**
Authorities are mandated to shift from routine complaint handling to result-oriented, swift administrative and legal intervention.
**Action Required**
Officials must oversee the distribution of relief to farmers and proceed with the investigation to fix responsibility and ensure strict adherence to quality assurance in the seed supply chain.
Key Entities Referenced
Nunhems India Private Limited: The company named in the FIR for supplying substandard bitter gourd seeds and saplings, leading to significant crop losses for farmers.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare who ordered strict legal action and a zero-tolerance policy against those cheating farmers.
Seeds Act, 1966: The primary legislation under which legal action was taken for the sale of substandard seeds misrepresented as certified material.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: The penal code under which specific sections were invoked in the FIR registered against the seed company.
Dhar and Khargone, Madhya Pradesh: The central districts where affected farmers reported crop failures, leading to the government's investigation and intervention.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
‘Farmers’ interests are paramount’: Action
ordered by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan in
substandard seed case, FIR registered against
Nunhems company
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan takes
immediate cognisance of the plight of farmers from Dhar and
Khargone
Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh gives clear message —
“Those who cheat farmers will not be spared”
Zero-tolerance policy of Union Agriculture Minister Shri
Shivraj Singh Chouhan in matters concerning farmers’
interests
Posted On: 17 APR 2026 4:05PM by PIB Delhi
Farmers from the Dhar and Khargone districts of Madhya Pradesh met Union Minister for Agriculture and
Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi and apprised him of
the severe losses they had suffered in their bitter gourd crop due to the supply of substandard seeds and
saplings. Taking the issue seriously and describing it as a direct attack on the livelihood of farmers, Shri
Chouhan immediately directed officials to ensure that affected farmers receive proper compensation and
that stringent legal action be taken against the company found responsible.Following the directions of the Union Minister, swift administrative action was initiated. An FIR has been
registered at Manawar police station in Dhar district against the concerned company, Nunhems India
Private Limited, Hyderabad, Telangana. Investigation into the matter has commenced.
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has once again reiterated that the welfare and
interests of farmers remain his highest priority. Farmers from Dhar and Khargone, while meeting him in
New Delhi, informed him that they had incurred serious losses in the bitter gourd crop because ofsubstandard seeds and saplings. On hearing their grievances, Shri Chouhan immediately instructed the
concerned officials that the affected farmers must receive justice and that prompt steps be taken to secure
adequate compensation for them.
He also clearly directed that strict statutory and legal action must be ensured against the company whose
role has emerged in the matter. After these directions, action at the administrative level gathered pace and
FIR No. 266 was registered at Manawar police station in Dhar district.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 318(4) and 324(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,
Sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and Section 19 of the Seeds Act, 1966.
Nunhems India Private Limited, Hyderabad, Telangana, has been named as the accused company in the
case.
According to the complaint submitted by the farmers, they had purchased seeds and saplings of the
concerned company in November 2025 from various nurseries and agricultural service centres. However,
after sowing and plantation, the bitter gourd crop failed to deliver the expected yield. Farmers stated that
the fruits remained small in size, turned yellow, and began falling prematurely, resulting in major crop
damage and substantial financial losses.
After witnessing a steep fall in production, the farmers formally lodged a complaint on February 17, 2026.
Following the complaint, agricultural scientists and departmental officials conducted an inquiry into the
matter. During the preliminary investigation, it was reportedly found at first sight that substandard seeds,
as well as saplings prepared from substandard seeds, had been sold to farmers while being represented as
certified material.
This, according to the complaint and preliminary findings, caused serious economic loss to cultivators
who had invested their labour, resources and money in the crop.
When the affected farmers came to Delhi and personally informed Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh
Chouhan about the entire matter, Shri Chouhan said that the issue was not merely one of crop failure. He
observed that the matter involved damage to the trust, hard work and capital of farmers, and therefore
deserved immediate and serious intervention.
Acting on his directions, the entire case was treated with urgency and seriousness, and an FIR was
registered under the relevant legal provisions. Further investigation has been set in motion so that
responsibility may be fixed and appropriate action taken in accordance with law.
Along with this, directions have also been issued to impose a ban on the substandard bitter gourd seed
variety known as “Rubasta”, so that farmers in future are protected from similar losses and no further
damage is caused due to poor-quality agricultural inputs. Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, after hearing the
grievances of the farmers, gave a firm and unambiguous message that injustice, negligence or fraud
against farmers would not be tolerated under any circumstances. He asserted that the government stands
strongly and fully with affected farmers and remains committed to protecting their interests.
The developments concerning the farmers of Dhar and Khargone indicate that when the matter reached
Union Minister Shri Chouhan directly, it was not treated as a routine complaint or met with merely formal
cognisance. Instead, concrete steps were initiated simultaneously on two fronts — ensuring compensation
for farmers and pursuing strict legal action against those allegedly responsible. This has further
strengthened confidence among farmers that their concerns are being heard at the highest level and that
effective, result-oriented action is being taken on their complaints.
Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has in the past also consistently issued clear and firm
directions in favour of speedy redressal of farmers’ grievances, strict action against substandard and fake
seeds, pesticides and agricultural inputs, and ensuring that genuine relief reaches affected cultivatorswithout delay. In matters related to poor-quality seeds and other agricultural inputs, Chouhan has
repeatedly made it clear that those who endanger the hard work, crops and future of farmers will not be
spared under any circumstances.
The present action in the Dhar-Khargone case is being seen as another example of the government’s stated
commitment towards safeguarding farmers from malpractice and ensuring accountability in the
agricultural input supply chain. The case has also highlighted the importance of quality assurance in seeds
and planting material, as farmers depend heavily on such inputs for crop success, household income and
livelihood security. Any compromise in quality not only affects production but can deeply impact rural
families economically.
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