Lok Sabha Question No. 109 (STARRED), answered on 2024-07-30
Subject: Access to Quality Seeds
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.109

TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 TH  JULY, 2024

## ACCESS TO QUALITY SEEDS

*109.  SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has taken note that many of the small farmers do not have access to quality seeds and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Government is implementing any Scheme to provide pure organic seed with scientific methods to farmers in the country and if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of work done under Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material during the last three years, year-wise; and (d) the details of further steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure

- adequate availability of high yield quality seeds to farmers across the country?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT IN  RESPECT  OF  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. 109 FOR 30 TH  JULY, 2024 REGARDING ACCESS TO QUALITY SEEDS.

- (a): For providing access of quality seeds to farmers, the Government of India coordinates with  all  the  States  in  the  meetings  held  on  All-India  Seed  Requirement  and  Availability through the  mechanism  of  Zonal  Seeds  Review  Meetings  prior to  each  sowing  season. Based on the discussion, the details of requirement and availability of quality seeds across the country for last three years and ongoing Kharif- 2024 season, are as under:

## (Quantity in Lakh Quintals)

| Year        |   Requirement |   Availability |   Surplus |
|-------------|---------------|----------------|-----------|
| 2021-22     |        465.36 |         498.83 |     33.47 |
| 2022-23     |        464.14 |         514.26 |     50.12 |
| 2023-24     |        462.31 |         508.6  |     46.29 |
| Kharif-2024 |        174.94 |         193.53 |     18.59 |

In view of the surplus availability of certified/quality seeds and steps taken by the Ministry, there is no issue of lack of access to quality seeds.

- (b): The  Government  is  implementing  the  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY) across the country other than the North Eastern States. Under this scheme, as assistance of  Rs.  15000  per  hectare  for  three  years  is  provided  to  the  farmers  for  organic  inputs. Another scheme, namely the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region  (MOVCDNER)  provides  an  assistance  of  Rs.  32500  per  hectare  for  3  years  to farmers for organic inputs.
- (c): The year-wise detail of work done under Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting Material during last three years is at Annexure-I.
- (d): The  following  steps  are  being  taken  up  by  Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers Welfare, Government of India to ensure availability of quality seeds to the farmers:-
- (i)  The  Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare  regularly  requests  all  State Governments to prepare a Seed Rolling Plan, three years in advance to estimate the requirement of seeds in their State and allocate seed production targets to different seed  production  agencies,  accordingly.  This  system  ensures  timely  availability  of required quantity of seeds to the farmers in various States.
- (ii)  Department of Agriculture & Farmers  Welfare also ensures that the State Governments place their breeder seed indent of agriculture and horticulture crops

one year in advance for systematic breeder seed production of indented quantities. After  production,  the  breeder  seed  is  allotted  to  State  Governments  and  other agencies for further multiplication into foundation and thereafter to certified seeds and for its distribution to the farmers.

- (iii)  Under  the  component  of  National  Seed  Reserve  of  Sub-Mission  on  Seeds  and Planting Material, assistance is provided to various States for creating Seed Reserve every year having short/medium duration and stress tolerant variety seeds to meet any unforeseen contingency.
- (iv)  Fixation of uniform breeder seed price is ensured in consultation with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for optimization of seed production cost in respect of foundation and certified seeds.
- (v) The Government of India has launched Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory  (SATHI)  portal  for  effective  monitoring,  to  bring  transparency  and  to maintain  over  all  inventory  of  seed  starting  from  Nucleus-Breeder-FoundationCertified Seed.
- (vi)  Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers Welfare,  Government  of  India  also  provides financial assistance to various States and Government Seed Producing Agencies for production and distribution of seeds viz. Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP),  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM),  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana (RKVY) etc.

Annexure-I

The year-wise detail of work done under Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting Material during last three years, is as under: -

| FY/Component    | Seed Village Programme   | Seed Village Programme   | Creation of Seed Infrastructure Facilities   | Creation of Seed Infrastructure Facilities   | Seed moved under Transport Subsidy on Movement Seed (in lakh Qtls)   | Seed Testing Laboratories (STL)   | Seed Testing Laboratories (STL)   | DNA Fingerprinting Laboratories (in No)   | Grow Out Test Farms   |
|-----------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
| FY/Component    | Seed Villages (in No)    | Beneficiaries (in lakhs) | Sanctioned Seed Processing Capacity (in MT)  | Sanctioned Seed Storage Capacity (in MT)     | Seed moved under Transport Subsidy on Movement Seed (in lakh Qtls)   | Strengthening of STL (in No)      | Renovation of STL (in No)         | DNA Fingerprinting Laboratories (in No)   | No)                   |
| 2021-22         | 79,731 31.65             | 1,750                    |                                              | 5,119.55                                     | 3.01                                                                 | 9                                 | 6                                 | 1                                         | 4                     |
| 2022-23 71,374  | 29.19                    | 9,500                    |                                              | 3,955                                        | 2.31                                                                 | 5                                 | -                                 | -                                         | -                     |
| 2023-24* 47,667 | 23.14                    | 8,250                    |                                              | 2,025                                        | 2.86                                                                 | 10                                | 8                                 | 2                                         | 4                     |

*For the FY 2023-24, some States have not submitted the final physical progress report for seed villages and beneficiaries.

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