Annual Report 2009-2010 - Department of Agriculture & Co-operation

Annual Report 2009-2010
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Bill is proposed to be moved during this year.
The approval of the Cabinet is required once
again on account of the formation of the new
Government.
5.3 Strengthening of Seeds Quality Control
Organisations (State Seed Certification Agencies
and State Seed Testing Laboratories): The
responsibility of seed law enforcement is vested
with the state governments. Seed inspectors
notified under the relevant provisions of the
Seeds Act, 1966, and the Seeds (Control) Order,
1983, inspect the premises of seed distribution
agencies to draw samples for testing.
Appropriate action is taken against sellers of substandard
seeds, as per the provisions of the
Seeds Act/Rules and Orders. These inspectors
are also authorised to stop the sale of substandard
seeds and to seize their stocks. Seed
inspectors have also been provided with powers
of enforcement under the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986, to regulate the quality of
genetically modified (GM) crops.
5.4 During 2009-10, Rs. 4.64 crore has been
released for the general upgrading of laboratories
and State Seed Certification Agencies, equipping
laboratories for International Seed Testing
Association (ISTA) accreditation, DNA
fingerprinting, BT cotton kits, grow-out tests, etc.
5.5 Policy on the Export and Import of Seeds
and Planting Materials: Exports and imports of
seeds have increased with the rationalisation and
simplification of the export and import regime.
This has benefited Indian farmers, the seed
industry, and entrepreneurs. A total of 295 cases
were recommended for the issue of export and
import permits from 1 April, 2009 to January
2010.
5.6 Implementing the Protection of Plant
Varieties and Farmers' Rights Legislation: The
Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights
(PPV&FR) Authority has been established in
November 2005 at New Delhi. The Authority has
the mandate to implement provisions of the
PPV&FR Act, 2001. Seventeen crops, i.e., rice,
bread wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet,
chickpea, pigeon pea, green gram, black gram,
lentil, field pea, kidney bean, cotton, jute,
sugarcane, ginger, and turmeric have been
notified for the purposes of registration under
the Act. The Authority has plans to extend its
coverage to forestry, aromatic, and medicinal
plants. The scheme has been approved for
implementation during the Eleventh Plan. Salient
features regarding the implementation of the
scheme are as under:
a) The fees for registration of new varieties and
an extant variety about which there is
common knowledge was prescribed in the
Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers'
Rights (Amendment) Rules, 2009 notified
vide G.S.R. 319 (E) dated 11 May 2009.
b) The Central Government, vide S.O. 874 (E)
dated 27 July 2009, notified crops of
sugarcane, ginger, and turmeric under
section 29 (2) read with section 14 of the
PPV&FR Act, 2001 for registration of varieties
of these crops under the Act.
c) The Central Government approved the
Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers'
Rights (Criteria for Distinctiveness, Uniformity,
Stability, and Registration) Regulations, 2009,
and notified it in the gazette vide G.S.R.452(E)
dated 29 June 2009.
d) The Central Government has notified the fee
structure for payment of annual fee under
the Act in the gazette vide S.O.2182 (E) dated
26 August 2009.
e) The Authority has got the annual accounts
for the year 2008-09 audited by the C&AG of
India and the audited accounts have been
tabled in the winter session of Parliament in
December 2009.
5.7 National Seed Research and Training
Centre (NSRTC) at Varanasi: The National Seed
Research and Training Centre (NSRTC), Varanasi
(Uttar Pradesh), has been notified as a Central
Seed Testing and Referral Laboratory (CSTL), with
effect from 1 April 2007. The primary objective
for establishing the NSRTC is to have a separate
National Seed Quality Control Laboratory to serve
as CSTL and a referral laboratory for courts in
India, and also to act as a human resource
development centre in the field of seed quality.
The CSTL of the NSRTC has become a member
laboratory of the International Seed Testing
Association (ISTA), Zurich, Switzerland with effect
from 2007.
5.8 The NSRTC has organised seven National
Training Programmes during 2009-2010 on 'Seed
Quality Regulation', 'Seed Testing', 'Seed Law