Lok Sabha Question No. 281 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-15
Subject: Seed Banks
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Upendra Singh Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 281

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 15 TH  SEPTEMBER, 2020

## SEED BANKS

281.   SHRI UPENDRA SINGH RAWAT:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state;

- (a): the  number  of  seed  banks  functioning  in  the  country  as  on  date,  State/UT-  wise including Uttar Pradesh, district-wise;
- (b): the number of seed banks set up in the country during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (c): whether the Government has any proposal to set up more seed banks in the country including UP to preserve and promote local indigenous varieties of plants;
- (d): if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
- (e): the details of the funds allocated/ utilised along with the number of farmers benefited from these seed banks during the said period?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) & (b) : There are 22 seed banks functioning in the country including one at national level with National Seeds Corporation Limited and 21 in different States/UTs namely Andhra Pradesh,  Assam,  Bihar,  Chhattisgarh,  Gujarat,  Haryana,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Jammu  & Kashmir,  Jharkhand,  Karnataka,  Kerala,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Odisha,  Punjab, Rajasthan,  Tamil  Nadu, Telangana,  Uttarakhand,  Uttar  Pradesh and West  Bengal. These seed banks supply seeds of short and medium duration crop varieties to the farmers during contingency situations like flood, drought etc. The  implementing agencies are maintaining the seeds on a regional basis keeping in  view  ease of movement of seeds to the affected areas.

In Uttar Pradesh, one seed bank is functioning with Uttar Pradesh Seed Development Corporation, Lucknow which maintains the seeds at 25 locations viz. Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandhshahar, Aligarh, Bareilly, Pilibhit,  Kanpur, Lucknow, Pihani-Hardoi, Faizabad, Sardan-Amethi, Ambedkarnagar, Dumariaganj-Sidharthnagar, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Saini, Sirathu, Azamgarh, Mathura, Tehra-Agra, Attra (Banda), Mankapur-Gonda, Chirgaon (Jhansi), Badaun, Mainpuri and Moradabad.

(c) & (d): At  present,  there  is  no  proposal  with  the  Government  to  set  up  more  seeds banks  in  the  Country.  However,  National  Bureau  of  Plant  Genetic  Resources  and  its regional stations are conserving  the germplasm/traditional varieties. In addition, the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority through its National Gene Bank, Community  Seeds  Bank  and  Field  Gene  Bank  conserving  the  traditional  varieties  in  the Country.

(e): The details of quantities of seeds reserved and funds utilised during last three years and current year is as under:

| Year    | Quantities of seeds reserved (quantity in lakh quintals)   |   Amount released/utilised (Rs. in lakh) |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 2017-18 | 3.36                                                       |                                  2677.9  |
| 2018-19 | 3.14                                                       |                                  1149.64 |
| 2019-20 | 2.70                                                       |                                   937.13 |
| 2020-21 | 3.73*                                                      |                                  1049.88 |

*Target

*****