229 tonnes of jute seeds destoryed

Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation yesterday destroyed around 229 tonnes of unsold jute seeds due to alleged low germination.

The market value of the seeds was around Tk 2 crore, said officials.

Shahidul Islam, joint director of Nashipur Jute Seed Farm of BADC said the seeds had been produced between 2003-04 and 2013-14 at the farm and had been marketed.

But, a large quantity of those were not sold due to low germination and was kept in a farm warehouse.

A probe committee also found evidence of low germination following an experiment, said the officials.

Yesterday, the seeds were dumped in a giant pit at the farm in Nashipur area.

Sources said improper handling of the seeds during harvest could be the reason for their low germination rate.