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Telangana Vibrant – National Seed Congress-2015
Highlights
A three-day 8th National Seed Congress 2015 is being organized at HICC in Hyderabad in the Pearl City of Telangana beginning from 27th October to29th October, 2015 by Government of Telangana in order to translate its idea of making the State a ‘Seed Bowl of India’ and to overcome the issues of quality, availability and challenges that seed producers are facing in the country and the theme of the Seed Congress is “Quality Seed for Farmer’s Prosperity”, the event will touch upon the latest challenges of global scenario and cutting edge technologies in the Indian seed Industry.
A three-day 8th National Seed Congress 2015 is being organized at HICC in Hyderabad in the Pearl City of Telangana beginning from 27th October to29th October, 2015 by Government of Telangana in order to translate its idea of making the State a ‘Seed Bowl of India’ and to overcome the issues of quality, availability and challenges that seed producers are facing in the country and the theme of the Seed Congress is “Quality Seed for Farmer’s Prosperity”, the event will touch upon the latest challenges of global scenario and cutting edge technologies in the Indian seed Industry.
The seed congress would focus on the present scenario of agriculture at National level, challenges and future needs for seed. About 500 to 600 delegates, including researchers, scientists, stakeholders and farmers of the State will attend the event.
The objective of seed congress is to create a platform for all major players and stakeholders in seed sector to come together and discuss critical issues impacting the seed supply and to recommend a set of suggested interventions in policies for developing sustainable and globally competitive self-reliance in seed sector and to adapt the scope for latest technologies to ascertain food security and to enhance the export of seeds and Agriculture produce.
The seed congress platform will formulate new guidelines to meet growing food demands to cater to the needs of farmers with a focus on new hybrids.
In Telangana, Rs.50.00 crore will be spent on seed production program and as many as 36,480 farmers will get 14,580 ha under the Seed Village program. Rs.9.00 crore was allotted to bring under cultivation of 1,176 ha under Agriculture University purview. About 400 seed companies in the State were producing a wide gamut of seed worth of Rs.45,00 crore every year and the focus would be on improving godown facility to provide support price to the farmers.
Telangana State has recognised that Seeds are a critical and basic input for enhancing agricultural production and productivity in different agro-climate regions. Indian seed programme largely adheres to the limited generation system for seed multiplication.
Telangana has charted out a strategy, to make the State as Seed Bowl of India by making the farmers self-sufficient, the surplus seeds will be supplied to farmers in the State by the Agriculture Department, as Telangana is already contributing 30 to 40 percent of the seed required in the country. However, commercial crops would not be included in the seed bowl concept. As BT variety dominates the cotton crop and it is monopolised by private companies, the State decides to accord highest priority to developing hybrid variety of cotton seeds.
As part of initial measures, soyabean is being produced by farmers in around two lakh ha locally in the State. Currently, the seed is being imported from Madhya Pradesh, forcing the farmers to incur heavy expenditure. The State wanted to develop nuclear, breeder seed and foundation seed locally for the benefit of farmers and it would take two to three years to develop foundation seed.
The State has also planned to produce seeds of maize and mustard locally. Scientists have started efforts to produce the mustard seed in a research station.
The State is planning to export of sorghum, as the demand for sorghum has been increasing across the globe, in this direction, the State would encourage seed village programme where the farmers can grow quality seed and become independent instead of depending on seed companies.
Recently, the State has requested about 364 seed companies in the State to adopt one village in each of the 95 Rural Assembly segments having 438 mandals to develop seeds in more than a 1 crore acres of land, which is available for cultivation as well as seed development since the State has a typical land mix coupled with excellent moderate, non-extreme climate conditions that ideally suits for seed production so that Telangana State could be converted as seed bowl of India.
In Telangana, majority of villages endowed with red soil and black soil lands side by side like in ICRISAT, which is chosen for research. For enabling this, Telangana State decided to allot one agronomist for every 5000 acres of land, who will be thoroughly trained and equipped with all latest knowledge in farming techniques to help farmers in all aspects.
Today, the world is looking at Telangana for supply of seeds to grab the opportunity; the State should make a fresh beginning. In many countries it is difficult to grow seed. By identifying such countries where there is a need. Telangana may do seed export.
The State has drawn a Strategy to develop seed production in the state so that entire country’s need could be met from here. It is decided to expand the present area of seed growing land of 2 lakh 90 acres, which is available, thorough out the State. The State is determined to develop and improve the seed production, as the State has unmatched quality compared to any other state owing to favourable conditions prevailing in the State.
Major crops involved in seed production in the state are rice, maize, Bt Cotton, pulses, millets and oilseeds. At present seed production is mainly concentrated and confined in the districts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Mahaboobnagar and Warangal.
In addition to this one must give a thought to start farming organizations to benefit farmers which as of now is an unorganized sector. Their problems are varied and differ from others. For example farmers are used to grow a crop which normally yields a better price in a particular year. When they grow it the prices go down steeply the next year resulting in heavy losses to the farmer. If this happens on a continuous basis agriculture community suffers. To avert this, it is desirable to apportion a particular Zone or Unit exclusively for growing vegetables and so also for other crops.
The State is planning to evolve a comprehensive strategy in tune with the social transformation and technological developments so that the agricultural community will not go in to depression and instead flourishes in future.
In order to develop Telangana into specific crop colonies, to support and encourage farmers, input subsidy will be provided at every step starting from seed supply, fertilizers and for the use of farm mechanization. Steps would be taken to encourage farmers to produce seeds of high quality so as to transform Telangana into ‘Seed bowl of India’.
G.Rajendera Kumar
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