(a) whether the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has recently reported about the
scarcity of high quality seeds in the country;
(b) if so, whether the Government proposes to establish a seed bank to store seeds of high
quality; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI SHARAD PAWAR)
(a): No, Sir. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has not reported the scarcity of
high quality seeds in the country. However, the Government of India supplements the efforts of
the States Governments by organizing Zonal Seed Review Meetings and also National
Conferences on Agriculture prior to Kharif and Rabi Season every year. The overall availability
of certified seeds including quality seeds against the requirement of all field crops for the last
three years is as under:
(Qty. in lakh Qtls.)
Year Requirement Avilability
2003-04 99.32 124.38 2004-05 110.83 132.27 2005-06 107.08 140.51