Question : Seed Market

(a) whether the farmers in the country are unable to reap financial benefits from the country’s seed market despite the country emerging as the fifth largest seed market in the world;

(b) if so, the efforts being made by the Government in this regard;

(c) whether the Government proposes to reduce the increase in the cost of procurement of seeds for every crop cycle and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether there is also shortage of certified and quality seeds and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to address these issues?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.




STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 207 DUE FOR REPLY ON 3rd AUGUST, 2021.

(a): No Sir, Indian seed market is one of the biggest seed markets of the world. The total seed export from India is approx. Rs. 1000 crores, through which farmers are also reaping financial benefits.
(b): Question does not arise.
(c): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) has developed several new varieties for the farmers in last five years, which are high yielding, biotic/a-biotic stress tolerant, disease/insect resistant and bio-fortified varieties. Government of India through its various schemes viz. Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Materials (SMSP), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) & Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) provides financial assistance to farmers on seed distribution, seed production, farmers training, seed treating drums, seed storage bins and demonstration of high yielding varieties developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs).
(d) & (e): There is sufficient quantity of seed available in the country against the requirement. The Government of India is allocating approx. 70-75 thousand quintals of Breeder Seed of high yielding varieties every year. The total requirement of seed by States/UTs in Rabi 2020-21 was 292.63 lakh quintals against which 329.96 lakh quintals was available. Similarly, for Kharif-2021 the total requirement of seed was 154.50 lakh quintals against which 165.06 lakh quintals was available.
Contd…2/-

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Government of India coordinates with the states in meeting the All-India Seed Requirement and Availability through the mechanism of Zonal Seeds Review Meetings and National Conference on Agriculture prior to each sowing season. For future seed planning, Government of India ask States/UTs to prepare Dynamic Seed Rolling Plan to ensure that there is no scarcity of seed in future also.
National Seed Corporation Limited is an autonomous organization of Government of India that undertakes production and marketing of seeds and is supplying 14-15 lakh quintals of certified and quality seed to the farmers annually in cereals, pulses, oilseeds and other crops.
Government has started 150 seed hubs in Pulses, 35 in Oilseeds and 24 in Nutri-cereals across the country to supply good quality seed of these crops to framers.
Under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers'' Rights Act (PPV&FR), 2001 farmers are entitled to register their varieties. The farmers that are engaged in the conservation of genetic resources of land races, wild relatives of economic plants and their improvement through selection and preservation are entitled for reward and recognition from the Gene Fund of the Authority.
There are 25 Seed Certification Agencies working in different States to monitor certified seed production of approx. 250-260 lakh quintals every year.
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