Question : Testing of Seeds and Fertilizers

(a) the details of the steps taken by the Government for testing of seeds and fertilizers in the country, State wise including Madhya Pradesh and to provide high quality/certified seeds to the farmers of the said State at prescribed rates;
(b) whether the Government plans to set up seed testing laboratories at district/block level to provide door-step facility for seed testing and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the number of notified testing laboratories/ institutes that carry out the work of testing seeds and fertilizers in the country, State-wise including Madhya Pradesh;
(d) the number of samples which have been found to be of poor quality;
(e) the details of the funds allocated for the said institutes during the last three years along with the funds spent in this regard; and
(f) the number of testing works carried out by these institutes during the last three years and the targets fixed by them in this regard?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS’ WELFARE
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(a) For strengthening of Seed Testing network in the Country, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare provides financial assistance to all states, State Seed Certification Agencies, State Seed Corporations, State Agricultural Universities and ICAR Institutes etc. (as per the proposal received) under various components viz. purchase of equipments and renovation of seed testing laboratories (STLs), DNA Finger Printing Facilities, Specialized Seed Health laboratory etc. under Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting Material for testing of Seeds.




Moreover, financial assistance for strengthening of fertilizer testing is also available/provided under various schemes of DA&FW viz. National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana etc.

(b) to (d) 167 notified seed testing laboratories are working across the Country. The National Seed Research & Training Centre (NSRTC) Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) under the DA&FW is working as Central Seed Testing Laboratory (CSTL) which analyse 5% seeds samples received from various notified Seed Testing laboratories to make uniformity in seed testing. The details of state wise seeds samples analysed under 5% re-testing programme seeds samples of notified Seed Testing laboratories are at Annexure-I.

There are 83 Fertiliser testing laboratories including four Central laboratories namely Central Fertiliser Quality Control & Training Institute Faridabad and its regional fertilizer quality control laboratory at Mumbai, Kalyani and Chennai. Out of 83 laboratories, 4 laboratories are under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and remaining 79 laboratories are notified in different States. The details of State wise number of fertilizer laboratories and number of fertilizer samples found poor quality is at Annexure-II.

(e) & (f). The details of funds allocated, amount spent and seed testing work carried out in the CSTL under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare during last three years is as under:
(Amount Rs. in Crore)
Amount allocated Amount spent Number of Seed Samples Tested
2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21
5.28 4.28 4.77 4.24 2.35 2.33 19,812 20,334 20,611


The details of funds allocated for Central Fertilizer Quality Control & Training Institute (CFQC&TI) Faridabad and its regional fertilizer quality control laboratories, amount spent under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and testing work carried out during last three years is as under:

(Amount Rs. in Crore)
Amount allocated Amount spent Number of fertilizer Samples Tested
2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21
23.65 11.95 12.43 7.25 5.97 5.94 1,38,602 1,45,194 1,59,527

There are no specific targets fixed by Govt. of India.