Government Promotion Schemes for Seed sector
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Under this component, credit linked back-ended
capital subsidy is provided at the rate of 25% of the project cost subject to
a maximum limit of Rs. 25.00 lakh per unit on seed infrastructure
development. Private Companies, individual entrepreneurs, self-help groups,
seed co-operatives, partnership farms are eligible for subsidy. The component
is implemented through Nationalised Banks/Scheduled Commercial Banks and
National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC). The assistance is for
creation of infrastructure facilities relating to seed cleaning, grading,
processing, seed treating, packaging and storage units as well as for seed
testing facilities. This assistance is primarily for low value and high
volume seeds. National Seed Corporation is the nodal agency for
implementation and monitoring of this component.
To upgrade the quality of farmer-saved seed,
which is about 80-85% of the total seed used for crop production programme,
financial assistance is provided for distribution of foundation/certified
seed at 50% cost of the seed of crops for production of certified/quality
seeds only and for training on seed production and technology to the farmers.
The seed produced in these seed villages are
preserved/stored till the next sowing season. In order to encourage
farmers to develop storage capacity of appropriate quality, assistance is
given to farmers for making/procuring of Pusa Bin/Mud bin/Bin made from paper
pulp for storing of seed produced by the frames on their farms.
This component covers North-Eastern States
including Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Hill
Areas of West Bengal. The component provides for (a) 100% reimbursement of
difference between rail and road transportation cost is allowed for the
movement of seeds produced outside the State and (b) the actual cost,
restricted to maximum limit of Rs. 60 per quintal whichever is less for the
movement of seed within the State from State capital / district Headquarters
to sale outlets / sale counters.
In order to ensure that seeds are available to
the farmers at the time of natural calamities like floods, droughts, etc., a
need was felt to establish a Seed Bank to maintain stocks of foundation and
certified seeds of different crops/varieties which can be utilized for such
contingent requirements. Under this component, crop-wise targets of
seeds are fixed for each participating organization for maintenance in the
Seed Bank every year.
This component deals with arrangement to regulate
the quality of seeds under the Seeds Act,1966, to strengthen quality control
organization like State Seed Certification Agencies, State Seed Testing
Laboratories, Central Seed Testing Laboratory and Central Seed
committee apart from imparting training to officials engaged in the seed
sector and for enforcing the seed law in order to ensure the production and
distribution of quality seeds to protect the interest of the farmers. This
component also deals with the strengthening of National Seeds Research and
Training Centre at Varanasi (UP) This Centre is accredited as Central Seed
Testing Laboratory and acts as referral seed testing laboratory as well as a
premier training centre on all aspects of seed technology to different
stakeholders.
This component also aims to provide financial support to Central Seeds
Testing Laboratory (CSTL) to perform the
following
functions: (i) to initiate testing programme in
collaboration with notified State Seed Laboratories, design to
provide uniformity in test results
between all recognized seed labs in India; (ii) to collect
data continually on the status of seed sold in the market and to
make this data available to Central Seed Committee; (iii) to coordinate and
standardize the seed testing procedure in the
country.
In order to establish/strengthen infrastructure
facilities for production and distribution of quality seeds for the State
Seeds Corporations, assistance for creating facilities of seed cleaning,
grading, processing, packing and seed storage is provided. Assistance
for strengthening of the existing seed corporations with respect to above
mentioned infrastructure facilities is also considered on case to case
basis. The assistance is available in the form of grant for specific
purpose of creating infrastructure facilities mentioned above only.
About 85% of the seeds sown in the country are
farm-saved seeds where the quality is not assured. This component has been
introduced to upgrade the quality of farm-saved seeds. Dissemination of
knowledge and technology transfer of seed production is being done through
organizing exhibitions, slide shows, video film shows, field demonstrations,
farmers meet, seed day, etc. Provision of technological know-how to
farmers is also encouraged them to take up seed production in a big
way.
For effective transfer of seed production and
seed technology, training programmes for the farmers including women are
organized on field to upgrade the quality of farmer saved seeds in
association with seed village programme.
Apart from training the farmers in the basic seed
production technology, the extension machinery and those involved in seed
production, seed storage and seed testing and seed certification are also
trained regularly with a view to keep them abreast with the latest technology
and practices. Financial Assistance to State Seeds Corporation/ State
Seed Certification Agencies are given for imparting training to officials who
are engaged in seed development programme, seed quality control and seed law
enforcement on a regular basis to achieve the objective of quality seed
production and distribution. This component has been merged with the
component ‘Seed Village Programme’ from the halfway of the year 2006-07.
It is proposed to obtain the membership of
International Organizations like International Seed Testing Association
(ISTA) and to participate in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) Schemes for the development of Indian Seed Industry
and promotion of export of seeds: Presently, no Seed Testing Laboratories and
Seed Certification Agencies in public sector in the country are accredited
with these international agencies. No funds have been released under this
component.
Pursuant to the recommendations of Task Force
appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture under the Chairmanship of Dr. M.S.
Swaminathan on Application of Biotechnology in Agriculture, this component is
being implemented for providing financial assistance for post-released
monitoring of transgenic crops through State Agriculture
Universities/Department of Agriculture of States/Krishi Vigyan ,
strengthening of State Seed Testing Laboratories for quality control of
GM seeds, Public Awareness Campaign through SAUs, scientific
organizations/institutes , and for Promotion of tissue culture through
SAUs/Specialized Institutions/Seed Corporations.
Under this compoment, assistance is provided for
production as well as distribution of hybrid rice. Production subsidy @
Rs.20 per kg. and distribution subsidy @Rs.25/- per kg. are given to various
beneficiaries.
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