Question : SEED PRODUCING COMPANIES

(a) whether the production of seeds in the country is shared by both the public sector and the private sector;

(b) if so, the details of the share of both the sectors in producing different kinds of seeds during each of the last three years, seed-wise and sector-wise;

(c) the details of leading seed producing companies indicating their share in seed production both in the private and public sectors, separately alongwith the incentives provided/proposed to be provided to the private sector for seed production in the Eleventh Five Year Plan, State-wise;

(d) whether the Government proposes to encourage the role of the private sector in seed production; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION(PROF. K.V. THOMAS)

(a): Yes, Madam.

(b): The information of share of public and private sector in seed production for three years is at Annexure-I.

(c) to (e): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agricultural Universities(SAU’s), National Corporations (National Seeds Corporation & State Farms Corporation of India), State Seed Corporations (SSC’s) etc are the major seed producing organizations in the public sector. The list of leading seed producing companies in the private sector as provided by National Seed Association of India (NSAI) is at Annexure-II.As per NSAI the market share (in value) of the large private companies is 40%.The Government is already providing assistance for boosting seed production in the private sector through Credit Linked Back Ended Capital Subsidy under the Scheme of ‘Development & Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities for Production & Distribution of Quality Seeds’.Details are at Annexure-III.