Govt to promote quality seeds production at gram panchayat level

New Delhi: The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare is implementing farmer’s welfare scheme ‘Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting Materials’ to produce and supply quality seeds to farmers to enhance production and productivity in the country.

The various components of the scheme include Seed Village Programme, Establishment of Seed Processing- cum- Seed Storage Godowns at Gram Panchyat Level, National Seed Reserve, Boosting Seed Production in Private Sector and Strengthening of Quality Control Infrastructure Facilities.

From 2014-15 to 2020-21, under Seed Village Programme, 4.29 lakh numbers of Seed Villages have been created wherein 38.01 lakh qtls. of foundation/certified seeds were distributed at concessional rates to 170.86 lakh farmers. To encourage farmers to take up Seed production of Pulses, Oilseeds, Fodder and Green Manure crops locally and make available required certified seeds at village itself, 1.05 lakh qtls. of foundation /certified seeds have been distributed at 75% subsidized rates to 2.61 lakh farmers.

Financial support provided to the States to establish 517 no. of Seed Processing-cum-storage godown Units each of 500 Mt. capacity at Gram Panchayat level, for creating 25.85 LQ more capacity each for Seed Processing and for Seed storage, to make available required crop variety seeds locally to farmers to make them self-sufficient.

Financial assistance provided for movement of 10.37 lakh qtls. of seeds for making timely availability at an affordable price of certified/quality seeds to the farmers of North-Eastern States, UT of J&K, Laddakh, H.P., Uttrakhand and hilly/remote areas of West Bengal.

Under National Seed Reserve, 17.01 lakh qtls seeds of short and medium crop varieties kept meeting the requirement of farmers for re-sowing during natural calamities and unforeseen conditions i.e. drought, cyclone and flood etc.

Subsequent to flood damaging paddy crop in Kerala in August, 2018, 3900 MT seeds kept under National Seed Reserve made available to the farmers for re-sowing, so that farmers of the State  didn’t face seed scarcity.

In order to alleviate malnutrition in the country, 71 bio-fortified varieties (nutritionally enriched with protein, Iron, Zinc, amino acids, Pro vitamin-A & vitamin-C etc.,) of different crops (rice, wheat, maize, pearl millet, lentil, mustard, soybean, cauliflower, sweet potato and pomegranate etc.) developed. The breeder seeds of bio-fortified varieties have been allotted to the States for further multiplication for enhancing availability of seeds to the farmers in the country.

3436 registration certificates for plant varieties issued by PPVFR Authority for intellectual proprietary rights purpose. These include under Farmers’ Variety, the varieties which are traditionally cultivated and evolved by the farmers in their fields, and the wild relative or landrace of a variety about which the farmers possess common knowledge.

PPVFR Authority has notified 78 crop species for registration as new varieties, that will ensure the availability of more varieties of seeds and planting material to the farmers.

Besides, the DAC&FW has notified 1405 number of varieties of different crops, to ensure the availability of high quality seeds and planting material to the farmers

To encourage farmers and communities of farmers, particularly the tribal and rural communities engaged in conversion, improvement and preservation of genetic resources of economic plants and their wild relatives, particularly in areas identified as agro-biodiversity hotspots from National Gene Fund, the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Right Authority has given 15 Plant Genome Saviour Community Awards (a Memento and cash of  Rs.10 lakh) and 16  Plant Genome Saviour Farmers Awards  (a Memento and cash of  Rs.1.5 lakh), besides, 37 Plant Genome Saviour Farmers Recognition (a Memento and cash of  Rs.1 lakh), during the last five years.

The National Seed Research and Testing Centre received & analysed 697 court referred seed samples. It also received & analysed 1,36,532 samples under 5% re-testing samples. Besides, analysed 78 seeds samples received under ISTA Proficiency Test Programme, Switzerland.