Lok Sabha Question No. 1744 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-08
Subject: Setting up of Seed, Food and Soil Testing Institutions
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: RAVINDRA KUMAR RAY, BHAVANA GAWALI (PATIL), ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1744

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 8 TH   MARCH, 2016

## SETTING UP OF SEED, FOOD AND SOIL TESTING INSTITUTIONS

1744.      DR. RAVINDRA KUMAR RAY:

SHRIMATI BHAVANA PUNDALIKRAO GAWALI PATIL:

SHRI ARVIND SAWANT:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of institutes for seed, fertilizer and soil testing in the country and the details thereof, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to open the said institutes in various States including Jharkhand, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the total expenditure incurred by the Government on the above said institutes during the last three years and the total number of tests conducted by these institutes;
- (d) whether several difficulties are being faced by these institutes in sample testing owing to the  shortage  of  adequate  staff  and  equipment,  if  so,  the  corrective  steps  taken  by  the Government in this regard;
- (e) the  target  set  for  sample  testing  fixed  by  the  above  said  institutes  and  the  number of samples tested during the last three years; and
- (f) the steps taken by the Government to strengthen these institutes?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्राऱय में राज्य मंत्री (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

- (a): The National Seed Research and Training Centre, Varanasi and the Central Fertilizers Quality Control and Training Institute, Faridabad are institutes under Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare for testing seeds and chemical fertilizer respectively in the country.  Besides  these  national  institutes,  there  are  many  seed,  soil  and  fertilizer  testing laboratories in the States to test the quality of these inputs.
- (b): There is no such proposal with the Government to open new institutes for seed, fertilizer and soil testing.
- ( c): The  total  amount  spent  and  the  total  number  of  tests  conducted  by  these  national institutes during last three years is annexed.

(d): No  specific  problem  was  faced  by  these  institutes  in  testing  of  samples  due  to  the shortage of staff and equipments.

(e): National Seed Research and Training Centre, Varanasi has been assigned the target to test  litigation  seed  samples  received from  various  Courts  and  referral  samples  received  from various State Seed Testing Laboratories in the country. Similarly, the Central Fertilizers Quality Control and Training Institute, Faridabad has been assigned the target of drawing the sample from  all  Ships  /  Containers  containing  imported  fertilizer  for  testing.  The  number  of  samples tested in last three years by these institutes are annexed:

(f): The steps taken by the Government for strengthening of these institutes includes filling up the vacant staff positions, optimal utilization of existing facilities, creation of new facilities etc.

Annexure

Details  of  total  amount  spent  and  testing  work  carried  out  at  National  Seed Research and Training Centre, Varanasi during last three years

|   Sl. No. | Year                     |   Expenditure (Rs. in lakh) |   No. of samples tested |
|-----------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------|
|         1 | 2012-13                  |                      189.14 |                   17897 |
|         2 | 2013-14                  |                      199.75 |                   19057 |
|         3 | 2014-15                  |                      233.4  |                   19281 |
|         4 | 2015-16 (upto Jan, 2016) |                      117.17 |                   17490 |

Details of total amount spent and testing work carried out at Central Fertilizers Quality Control and Training Institute, Faridabad during last three years.

|   Sl. No. | Year                     |   Expenditure (Rs. in lakh) |   No. of samples tested |
|-----------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------|
|         1 | 2012-13                  |                      422.13 |                    9233 |
|         2 | 2013-14                  |                      439.57 |                    6234 |
|         3 | 2014-15                  |                      493.01 |                    2837 |
|         4 | 2015-16 (upto Feb, 2016) |                      503.83 |                    2914 |

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