There is sufficient quantity of certified/quality seed available for all farmers across the country. The details of requirement and availability of seed in the Country in last three years is given below:

  (Quantity in Lakh Quintals)

Year	Requirement	Availability	Surplus
2019-20	387.31	431.01	43.70
2020-21	443.16	483.66	40.50
2021-22	465.36	498.83	33.47

 

In order to make quality seeds affordable to farmers, Government ensures fixation of uniform breeder seed price in consultation with ICAR for minimization of the seed production cost in case of foundation and certified seed. Furthermore, Government provides financial assistance to different States and Government Seed Producing Agencies for production and distribution of seeds and for other interventions related to seed sector viz. National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Materials (SMSP) etc. so as to make quality seed affordable and available to the farmers in timely manner.

Because of the program a significant production enhancement has been achieved across the crops, as a result there is 6.07 times production enhancement in food grains, 3.06 times in pulses, 6.98 times in oilseeds, 11.93 times in cotton and 7 times in case of sugarcane over 1950-51 till 2020-21. The collective efforts of ICAR and DA&FW have played a significant role in bringing newly released varieties into seed chain in recent year. During 2020-21, out of total 115517 quintals breeder seed produced, 44705 quintals (~38.7%) and 66422 quintals (~57.5%) accounts for varieties lesser than five years and ten years old respectively, some of which are bio-fortified and multiple stress tolerant varieties. All these efforts bolster varietal diversification and productivity augmentation. Furthermore, following steps are being taken up by DA&FW to ensure availability of quality seed to the farmers:-

1).        State Governments has been preparing Seed Rolling Plan for three years in advance to estimate the requirement of seed in their State and distribute seed production targets accordingly to different Seed Production Agencies. This system ensures timely availability of required quantity of seed to the farmers in different States.

2).        State Governments are placing their Breeder Seed indent in different crops one year in advance for systematic breeder seed production. After production the Breeder Seed is allotted to State Governments and Seed Producing Agencies for further multiplication into foundation and certified seed and its distribution to the farmers.

 3).        For any unforeseen climatic condition, a National Seed Reserve is established in different States for creating Seed Reserve every year which is having short, medium duration and stress tolerant varieties seeds.

This information was given by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

 

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