Certification of seeds to be made mandatory to step up farm output
5 years, 7 months ago

Certification of seeds to be made mandatory to step up farm output

The Hindu  

More than half of all seeds sold in India are not certified by any proper testing agency, and are often of poor quality. The 1966 Act starts with these words: “An Act to provide for regulating the quality of certain seeds for sale.” The new Bill removes the word “certain”, and aims to regulate the quality of all seeds sold in the country, as well as exported and imported seeds. We want to remove that category with the new law and mandate certification through a proper lab process for all seeds,” he said. “Truthful label seeds can be disastrous from the farmers’ point of view, and should be removed,” says Devinder Sharma, an agriculture and food policy expert. If we can use this to weed out poor quality seeds sold by some fly-by-night operators, it could increase productivity by 20 to 25%,” said the official.

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History of this topic

Initiative to raise quality of seeds, crops
1 week, 2 days ago

Initiative to raise quality of seeds, crops

China Daily  

China has introduced its first batch of certified seeds into the market, marking a key step in improving seed quality and boosting crop yields. At a launch ceremony in Sanya, Hainan province, on Saturday, the National Agro-Tech Extension and Service Center awarded certification to 27 seed companies, allowing 35 varieties of certified seeds to enter the market. "Seed certification is …

Agri panel to report to government on crop loss due to fake seeds
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Agri panel to report to government on crop loss due to fake seeds

Deccan Chronicle  

Suryapet: Telangana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission chairman M. Kodanda Reddy announced on Thursday that a report on crop losses due to spurious seeds will soon be submitted to the state government. “Seed companies must prioritise farmers’ interests over profits, as poor-quality seeds can lead to complete loss of investment,” he said. The commission noted that paddy crops sown with …

Farmers told to procure bills of sale from seed sellers in the Nilgiris
2 months, 1 week ago

Farmers told to procure bills of sale from seed sellers in the Nilgiris

The Hindu  

The Deputy Director of Seed Inspection, Coimbatore, operating under the Directorate of Seed Certification has cautioned farmers to mandatorily procure bills of sale from seed sellers. In a press release, Deputy Director S. Revathi said that farmers in Coonoor, Kotagiri, Udhagamandalam and Gudalur were known for growing quality mountain vegetables, also known as “English vegetables.” As the sowing season was …

GO For Timely Supply Of Quality Seeds To Farmers At Reasonable Price Prevails Over Private Sellers' Right To Carry Business: Karnataka HC
4 months, 2 weeks ago

GO For Timely Supply Of Quality Seeds To Farmers At Reasonable Price Prevails Over Private Sellers' Right To Carry Business: Karnataka HC

Live Law  

The Karnataka High Court recently dismissed a petition challenging a Government Order directing purchase of certified and truthfully labelled seeds only from government agencies. A single judge K V Aravind dismissed the petition filed by M/s Karnataka State Certified Seed Producers Association and others stating, “Having regard to the object and the reasons stated in the Government Order to achieve …

Telangana Seed Corporation Urges Farmers to Buy Seeds Directly from Outlets
5 months ago

Telangana Seed Corporation Urges Farmers to Buy Seeds Directly from Outlets

Deccan Chronicle  

ADILABAD: The Telangana Seed Development Corporation chairman S. Anvesh Reddy on Saturday appealed to farmers to purchase seeds from the corporation outlets instead of purchasing seeds from private agencies. While making a review along with the agriculture extension officer and Mandal agriculture officer, Anwesh Reddy said it is high time to create demand for the seeds manufactured and supplied by …

Farmers in Karnataka producing seeds to get freedom from MNCs
1 year, 6 months ago

Farmers in Karnataka producing seeds to get freedom from MNCs

The Hindu  

On an acre of plot at Siddanahundi in T. Narsipur taluk of Mysuru district, Srinivasmurthy S.R. Silent shift towards indigenous varieties These are just two instances of farmers switching to seed production of indigenous crop varieties, be it paddy, vegetables, millets, or pulses. ‘’Apart from promoting indigenous crop varieties, the farmers are also conserving seed diversity. The enthusiasm of the …

Telangana SSDC produces seeds worth ₹6,500 crore in 2021-22
2 years, 8 months ago

Telangana SSDC produces seeds worth ₹6,500 crore in 2021-22

The Hindu  

Telangana State Seed Development Corporation has produced 1,60,441 quintal of seed of 18 food, commercial and fodder crops in 2021-22, which met the needs not only in Telangana but also supplied to nine other States. In all, 60 varieties of seeds were produced by the corporation, including 18 varieties of paddy seed, eight varieties of red gram seed, four varieties …

In seeds we trust: Meet the people saving our precious grains and giving us lessons in self-sufficiency
4 years, 11 months ago

In seeds we trust: Meet the people saving our precious grains and giving us lessons in self-sufficiency

The Hindu  

Move over organic pop-ups and farmers’ markets, it is now time for the seed to shine. Known for conserving okra varieties such as elephant tusk, red and Assam tree, and 26 varieties of brinjal, among over a 100 other vegetable varieties, they are now working on saving seeds from long-winged beans, Manipuri lima beans, purple tomatillo, chillies including the Ramnad …

A potential seedbed for private profits
5 years, 3 months ago

A potential seedbed for private profits

The Hindu  

After passing through at least two versions, Seeds Bill 2019 is now under Parliament’s consideration. According to the government, a new Seeds Bill is necessary to enhance seed replacement rates in Indian agriculture, specify standards for registration of seed varieties and enforce registration from seed producers to seed retailers. Private seed companies prefer policing because their low-volume, high-value business model …

New Seeds Bill Can Change Indian Agriculture, But Speculation Looms Over Implementation
5 years, 5 months ago

New Seeds Bill Can Change Indian Agriculture, But Speculation Looms Over Implementation

News 18  

New Delhi: Seeds occupy a peculiar position in agriculture. “The original Bill in 2004 was in a very bad shape, and it even sought to criminalise farmers for continuing with their customary practices,” said Kavitha Kuruganti of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture. Dr Avinash Kishore, research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute told News18 that the …

With Rollback on Compensation for Faulty Seeds, How the New Draft Seeds Bill Stacks up Against Predecessor
5 years, 5 months ago

With Rollback on Compensation for Faulty Seeds, How the New Draft Seeds Bill Stacks up Against Predecessor

News 18  

New Delhi: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare released the revised draft Seeds Bill 2019 in the public domain on October 28, 2019 for views and comments, before introducing it in the upcoming Winter session of the Parliament. But, the 2019 Bill mentions that regulation of sale price of seeds may only be enforced during “emergent situations like scarcity …

Khammam: Spurious seeds cost Farmers Rs 50 crore a year
5 years, 10 months ago

Khammam: Spurious seeds cost Farmers Rs 50 crore a year

Deccan Chronicle  

Khammam: Farmers are not getting good quality seeds, particularly cotton and chilli. Fifteen per cent of seeds sold to farmers are not of the required quality, particularly in the case of chilli and cotton seeds. The Field Inspection and Scientific Evalua-tion Committee, or FISEC, under the department of biotechnology which was set up by the Prime Minister’s Office in October …

Ramnad farmers raise seed farms on 604 hectares
7 years, 9 months ago

Ramnad farmers raise seed farms on 604 hectares

The Hindu  

Despite failure of crops throughout the district last season due to failure of north-east monsoon, farmers have raised seed farms on 604 hectares and helped the Department of Seed Certification and Organic Certification to procure processed seeds of paddy, millets and oilseeds. While crops withered in the majority of areas, including the fertile Thiruvadanai block, farmers raised the seed farms …

Spurious seed rackets thrive in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
8 years, 5 months ago

Spurious seed rackets thrive in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

Deccan Chronicle  

Visakhapatnam: Sale of spurious seeds has become a serious problem for farmers in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The state government takes action against unscrupulous seed companies only when farmers protest the failure of their crops and land in debt. He said that seeing the huge demand for chilli, some seed companies do not even produce the seeds; they collect …

Seeds of fortune
11 years, 9 months ago

Seeds of fortune

The Hindu  

What worries India’s organised seed industry most is its low market share. The National Seed Association of India says that the market size of the industry is expected to grow 11 per cent every year. A highlight of seed production by the public sector, which enjoys a 51 per cent market share of the organised sector in terms of value, …

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