Lok Sabha Question No. 1871 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-30
Subject: Quality Seeds for Cotton Farmers
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Bhavana Gawali (Patil), Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1871 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2021

## QUALITY SEEDS FOR COTTON FARMERS

## 1871.  SHRIMATI BHAVANA PUNDALIKRAO GAWALI: SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री

be pleased to state :

- (a) whether the Government has any scheme to provide certified and quality seeds to the farmers during the year 2021-2022;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Ministry of Textiles has prepared any draft to address packaging problems of food grains due to closure of jute mills during lockdown; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## उत्तर

ANSWER

## वस्त्र राज् यमंत्री ( श्रीमती दर्शना जरदोर् )

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TEXTILES (SMT. DARSHANA JARDOSH)

(a) & (b): Yes Sir, All India Coordinated Research Project - National Seeds Project (AICRP-NSP) under ICAR produce breeder seed for cotton. During the year 2020-21, 22.8 quintals of breeder seed was produced and supplied to the indenting agencies for production of foundation seed. Similarly, ICAR Seed Project augments the quality seed production in the country. During the year 2020-21, 2.4 quintals of foundation seed, 9.2 quintals of certified and 295.4 quintals of truthfully labelled seed was produced under this project. The quality seed of cotton produced during the year 2020-21 were made available to farmers for Kharif 2021 sowing.

The Government has also been distributing certified and good quality jute seeds to farmers.  In FY 2021-22, Jute Corporation of India has distributed 731 MT certified jute seeds among farmers. Since 2015-16 to 2020-21, the National Jute Board under I-CARE scheme has distributed 3459 MT certified jute seeds on subsidized rate.

(c) & (d): The Government of India has issued orders that 100% food grains and 20% sugar is required to be packed compulsorily in jute bags. The order further stipulates that in case of any shortage or disruption in supply of jute packaging material or in case of any other contingency or exigency, the Ministry of Textiles may, in consultation with the user Ministries concerned, allow further dilution of packaging material up to a maximum of thirty  per  cent. The requirement of jute bags, actual supply by jute mills and granting  relaxation for use of HDPE/PP bags in the last Rabi: 2020-21, Kharif: 2020-21 & Rabi: 2021-22 seasons are furnished below:-

In: '000' bales

|                             |   Rabi:20-21 |   Kharif:20-21 |   Rabi:21-22 |
|-----------------------------|--------------|----------------|--------------|
| Requirement of Jute bags    |         2336 |           2387 |         2534 |
| Actual supply by Jute mills |         1310 |           1444 |         1086 |
| Relaxation for HDPE/PP bags |          701 |            364 |          770 |

In addition to above and in order to overcome the crisis situation in arranging packaging material for packing food grains, the indenting agencies have been allowed to use once used jute bags manufactured in India.

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