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

Enforcement', 'Integrated Seed Improvement',
'Seed Health Testing', and 'Varietal Purity Testing
for Specified Traits and Pre and Post-Harvest
Management Techniques for Seed Quality
Assurance', for updating the knowledge and skills
of officials engaged in seed testing, seed quality
control, seed certification, and seed production,
and stakeholders in the seed industry. NSRTC
has also organised three national workshops-one
on OECD seed schemes and the other two on
seed testing for seed analysts and seed testing
officers of notified state seed testing laboratories
of different states. It organised a National Seed
Congress in collaboration with the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New
Delhi during 18 - 20 January, 2010.
5.9 Development and strengthening of
infrastructure facilities for the production and
distribution of quality seeds: This is a central
sector scheme being implemented from the year
2005-06. The scheme is intended to develop and
strengthen the existing infrastructure for the
production and distribution of certified/quality
seeds.
5.10 The following components of the scheme
are being implemented:
i) Transport subsidy on the movement of
seeds.
ii) Establishment and maintenance of seed
banks.
iii) Quality control arrangements for seeds.
iv) Seed Village Programmes.
v) The creation of infrastructure facilities in the
public sector.
vi) Assistance for boosting seed production in
the private sector.
vii) The use of bio-technology in agriculture.
viii) Promotion of hybrid seeds.
5.11 Bt. Cotton Seeds: At present, 624 Bt
Cotton hybrids, including one variety, BN Bt
cotton, developed by the Central Institute for
Cotton Research, Nagpur (ICAR) have been
approved by the Genetic Engineering Approval
Committee (GEAC) for commercial cultivation in
the states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The area under
coverage of Bt cotton is increasing rapidly. It has
increased from 0.29 lakh hectares in Kharif 2002,
to approximately 66.70 lakh hectares during
Kharif 2008 and 78.92 lakh hectares(estimated)
in Kharif, 2009.
5.12 Seed Village Programme: The scheme
has a component of the Seed Village Programme,
which is aimed at upgrading the quality of farm
saved seeds. The Department has covered about
64,000 villages under this component since
inception in 2005-06 and upto 2008-09. An
impetus has been provided to this programme
in 2009-10. Hence, Rs.214 crore has already been
released in 2009-10 (upto January, 2010), which
is more than twice the amount released in the
earlier four years put together. The programme
is expected to cover 70,000 villages in the current
financial year.
5.13 Certified/Quality seed production:
Certified/Quality seed production has increased
from 140.51 lakh quintals during 2006-07 to
279.72 lakh quintals during 2009-2010.
5.14 Boosting Seed Production in the Private
Sector: So far, 222 such plants have been
sanctioned for an amount of Rs. 14.86 crore for
small entrepreneurs in 16 states, with a
processing capacity of 42.94 lakh quintals of
seed and a storage capacity of 16.68 lakh
quintals.
5.15 The DAC has two central Public Sector
Undertakings, namely, the National Seeds
Corporation and the State Farms Corporation of
India. In 2008-09, the National Seeds Corporation
earned a profit after tax of Rs. 26.54 crore as
compared to Rs. 22.73 crore during 2007-2008,
and declared a dividend of Rs. 1.85 crore @ 9%
on the paid-up capital of the corporation. Sales of
seeds by the National Seeds Corporation have
increased to 9.96 lakh quintals in 2008-2009 from
8.15 lakh quintals in 2007-2008. The State Farms
Corporation of India has achieved a profit after
tax of Rs. 9.77 crores in 2008-2009, as compared
to Rs. 12.29 crore during 2007-2008. The dip in
profit is due to a payment of Rs. 11.84 crore on
account of implementation of revised pay scales
in the corporation. Seed production has increased
to 5.63 (estimated) lakh quintals in 2008-2009, as
compared to 4.44 lakh quintal in 2007-2008.
5.16 Programmes being implemented in the
North Eastern States: Details of programmes
being implemented in the North Eastern region
are provided in Annexure 5.1.
Seeds
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