Question : Seed Banks

(a): the number of seed banks functioning in the country as on date, State/UT- wise including Uttar Pradesh, district-wise;

(b): the number of seed banks set up in the country during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;

(c): whether the Government has any proposal to set up more seed banks in the country including UP to preserve and promote local indigenous varieties of plants;

(d): if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and

(e): the details of the funds allocated/ utilised along with the number of farmers benefited from these seed banks during the said period?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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(a) & (b): There are 22 seed banks functioning in the country including one at national level with National Seeds Corporation Limited and 21 in different States/UTs namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. These seed banks supply seeds of short and medium duration crop varieties to the farmers during contingency situations like flood, drought etc. The implementing agencies are maintaining the seeds on a regional basis keeping in view ease of movement of seeds to the affected areas.
Contd…..2/-

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In Uttar Pradesh, one seed bank is functioning with Uttar Pradesh Seed Development Corporation, Lucknow which maintains the seeds at 25 locations viz. Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandhshahar, Aligarh, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Kanpur, Lucknow, Pihani-Hardoi, Faizabad, Sardan-Amethi, Ambedkarnagar, Dumariaganj-Sidharthnagar, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Saini, Sirathu, Azamgarh, Mathura, Tehra-Agra, Attra (Banda), Mankapur-Gonda, Chirgaon (Jhansi), Badaun, Mainpuri and Moradabad.

(c) & (d): At present, there is no proposal with the Government to set up more seeds banks in the Country. However, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources and its regional stations are conserving the germplasm/traditional varieties. In addition, the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority through its National Gene Bank, Community Seeds Bank and Field Gene Bank conserving the traditional varieties in the Country.

(e): The details of quantities of seeds reserved and funds utilised during last three years and current year is as under:

Year Quantities of seeds reserved (quantity in lakh quintals) Amount released/utilised
(Rs. in lakh)
2017-18 3.36 2677.90
2018-19 3.14 1149.64
2019-20 2.70 937.13
2020-21 3.73* 1049.88
*Target
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