The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is executing farmer’s welfare scheme ‘Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Materials’ to produce and deliver quality seeds to farmers to ameliorate production and productivity in the nation through several components such as Seed Village Programme, Establishment of Seed Processing- cum- Seed Storage Godowns at Gram Panchyat Level, National Seed Reserve, Boosting Seed Production in Private Sector and Strengthening of Quality Control Infrastructure Facilities.
Through Seed Village Programme, about 4.29 lakh Seed Villages have been established wherein 38.01 lakh quintals of foundation/certified seeds were supplied at concessional rates to about 170.86 lakh farmers.
To motivate peasants to take up Seed production of Pulses, Oilseeds, Fodder and Green Manure crops locally and make available required seeds at village itself, 1.05 lakh quintals of foundation /certified seeds have been supplied at 75% subsidized rates to 2.61 lakh farmers.
Financial assistance was offered to the States to set up 517 Seed Processing-cum-storage godowns each having 500 Mt. capacity at Gram Panchayat level, for creating 25.85 LQ more capacity each for Seed Processing and for Seed storage, to make available required variety of crop seeds to farmers locally in order to make them self-sufficient.
Financial aid was provided for movement of 10.37 lakh quintals of seeds for making on-time availability at economical price of validated/quality seeds to the farmers of North-Eastern States, UT of J&K, Laddakh, H.P., Uttrakhand and hilly/remote regions of West Bengal.
Under National Seed Reserve, 17.01 lakh quintals seeds of short and medium crop varieties were kept to fulfill the need of farmers for re-sowing during natural disasters and unexpected conditions like drought, cyclone and flood etc.
Following the damages caused to paddy crop in Kerala in August, 2018, 3900 MT seeds kept under National Seed Reserve were distributed to the farmers for re-sowing, so that farmers of the State didn’t face seed shortage.
In order to reduce the cases of malnutrition in the nation, 71 bio-fortified variants (nutritionally enriched with protein, Iron, Zinc, amino acids, Pro vitamin-A and vitamin-C etc.,) of various crops (cauliflower, lentil, maize, mustard, pearl millet, pomegranate, rice, soybean, sweet potato and wheat, etc.) were created.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is strengthening all the whereabouts to execute its brainchild.
The breeder seeds of bio-fortified varieties have been distributed to the States for further multiplication for improving availability of seeds to the farmers in India.
3436 registration certificates for plant varieties have been published by PPVFR Authority for intellectual proprietary rights purpose. These comprises of under Farmers’ Variety, the varieties which are customarily cultivated and evolved by the farmers in their fields, and the wild relative or landrace of a variety regarding which the farmers have common understanding.
PPVFR Authority has notified 78 crop species for registration as novel varieties that will ensure that the more varieties of seeds and planting material are being provided to the farmers.
Also, the DAC&FW has notified 1405 varieties of different crops, to make sure that high quality seeds and planting material are being offered to the farmers
To motivate farmers and communities of farmers, especially the tribal and rural communities involved in transformation, enhancement and preservation of genetic resources of economic plants and their wild relatives, especially in areas recognized as agro-biodiversity hotspots from National Gene Fund, the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Right Authority has distributed 15 Plant Genome Saviour Community Awards (a Memento and cash of Rs.10 lakh) and 16 Plant Genome Saviour Farmers Awards (a Memento and cash of Rs.1.5 lakh), besides, 37 Plant Genome Saviour Farmers Recognition (a Memento and cash of Rs.1 lakh), in the last five years.
The National Seed Research and Testing Centre got and analyzed 697 court referred seed samples. It also received and tested 1, 36, 532 samples under 5% re-testing samples. Apart from this, it also assessed 78 seeds samples received via ISTA Proficiency Test Programme, Switzerland.