Farmers purchasing seeds for cultivation are recognized as consumers under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, and can claim compensation for crop loss due to defective seeds.

ORDER :

K. Lakshman, J.

Heard Mr. Ankit Swaroop, Mr. Drupad Sangwan, Mr. N. Pavan Krishna Reddy, Mr. Rishi Bhargava, Mr. Ruchil Raj, Ms. Harika Tejavath, Ms. Duvvuru Ruthika Reddy, M. M. Naga Vekata Neeraj and Mr. K. Anirudh Reddy, learned counsel for respective petitioners and Mr. Kunamalla Karunakar, Mr. P.Ravi Shankar and Mr. P. Aravind Reddy, learned counsel for respective respondents.

2. All these revisions arise out of common order dated 06.01.2025 passed by learned National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi (for short, ‘learned NCDRC’) in Revision Petition No.1376 of 2024 and batch, whereby learned NCDRC had upheld the orders passed by learned District Forum by setting aside the orders passed by learned State Commission wherein State Commission allowed some appeals filed by the petitioners, in part, reduced the quantum of compensation granted by learned District Forum and allowed some appeals in toto, set aside some of the orders passed by the District Forum in respect of some farmers –complainants.

3. Since there are multiple revisions, it would be difficult to discuss facts of all the cases. Further, the facts of all the cases are similar, except the names of parties and the quantum of compensation granted. There is no dispute with regard to the facts. Therefore, to avoid confusion and to have more clarity, it would be better to refer to the facts of the case in CRP No. 1203 of 2025.

FACTUAL MATRIX:-

4. The revision petitioner is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956. It engaged in the business of seed production and sales having its registered office at Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

5. Respondent No.1 is a farmer and resident of Agrahampahad village, Atmakur Mandal, Warangal District, Telangana State and is claiming to have been cultivating chilli crops for the last few years.

6. It is also apt to note that even other farmers/complainants residents of the said village and other nearby villages of Warangal district, claiming to have been cultivating chilli crop for the last few years.

7. Respondent No.2 is a dealer, who sold the seeds to the farmer. Respondent No.1 - farmer purchased ten (10) packets of VNR 145 chilli seeds on 07.03.2017 from respondent No.2 dealer vide Lot No.1870 after paying an amount of Rs.3,300/- manufactured by Respondent No.1. Thereafter, respondent No.1 sowed the seeds in an area measuring Ac.1.00 guntas in the month of April, said to have incurred an amount of Rs.40,000/- for cultivating the land.

8. According to respondent No.1 – Farmer, there was crop loss due to supply of defective, mis-branded, genetically poor chilli seeds supplied by the petitioners – Manufacturers.

9. Upon a letter written by various farmers on 06.07.2017 with regard to alleged bad condition of crop, the District Collector, Warangal, informed the same to the Agriculture Officer, Joint Director of Agriculture and District Horticulture and Sericulture Officers. Later, the District Agriculture Officer, vide letter dated 07.07.2017 directed the Mandal Agriculture Officer to conduct joint inspection with the Horticulture officer and report compliance at the earliest.

10. The Mandal Agriculture Officer, vide letter dated 10.07.2017, informed the Asst. Director of Agriculture, Telangana DNA Finger Printing Crops monitoring Lab that he is sending green chillies leaves of 50 plants (randomly selected) for analysis. The Joint District-Level committee conducted a visual inspection on 11.07.2017 and subsequently submitted its report, stating that the crop had been severely affected by ‘Thrips incidence’, during the initial crop growing stage, attributed to the prevalence of high t