Central Scheme for Ensuring Supply of Quality Seeds to Farmers

For ensuring supply of quality seeds to the farmers, the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation is implementing Central Sector Scheme "Development and Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities for Production and Distribution of Quality Seeds", under which assistance is provided for strengthening and modernizing seed infrastructure facilities, upgrading the quality of farm saved seed through seed village programme, production and distribution of quality seeds, establishing Seed Bank for ensuring seed availability in contingent situations, establishing and strengthening quality control infrastructure facilities in the count ,etc.

In order to curb the sale of fake/sub¬standard/unlicensed seeds, the State Governments have power under the Seeds Act, 1966, the Seed Rules, 1968 and the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, to take actions like issue of warning, show cause notices, stop sale order, trial in the court etc., against suppliers of fake/sub-standard/unlicensed seeds.

This information was given by Shri Tariq Anwar, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

MP:DS:CP: Quality seeds (lok) 12.3.2013