An FIR has been registered at Manawar police station in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh against Hyderabad-based seed company Nunhems India Pvt Ltd, after farmers complained about financial loss due to buying substandard bitter gourd seeds and seedlings of the company.

An investigation has begun, the union agriculture ministry said in a statement Friday after farmers from Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar and Khargone districts met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Delhi and alleged that they underwent heavy losses in their bitter gourd crop due to the substandard seeds and seedlings.

Following their complaint, officials were directed to ensure compensation for the affected farmers and take strict legal action, the agriculture ministry said.

According to the complaint, farmers bought seeds and seedlings from nurseries and agricultural service centres in November 2025, but the crop failed to perform as ‘expected’. The fruits allegedly shrank, turned yellow and fell off, leading to major losses.

The FIR has been lodged under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Essential Commodities Act and the Seeds Act. Agricultural scientists and department officials later found that substandard seeds and seedlings were sold to farmers under the pretext of being certified, causing financial damage.

Chouhan said the matter was not just about crop failure but also about the loss of farmers’ trust, hard work and capital. He also ordered a ban on the substandard bitter gourd seed variety Rubasata, and said injustice, negligence or fraud against farmers would not be tolerated, the statement said.

Published on April 17, 2026