Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Production of quality seeds stressed

COIMBATORE: Under the National Agricultural Development Project, emphasis is given for production of quality seeds of pulses, oilseeds and hybrid rice and distribution to farmers under subsidy to increase the Seed Replacement Rate (SRR), A.S. Ponnuswamy, Special Officer (Seeds), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, has said.

He was speaking at an orientation programme for district officers of Department of Agriculture on “Strengthening of Quality Seed Production and Distribution” under the NADP at the university.

He said an important component of the project was to encourage farmers, self-help groups and NGOs to involve in quality seed production by providing back ended subsidy of Rs. 7.50 lakh an individual for establishing seed processing units. Under the project, it was also proposed to create additional facilities for production of breeder, foundation and certified seeds, to impart training to officials, farmers and women groups, and to provide subsidy for production and distribution of pulses, oilseeds and hybrid rice seeds.

“A total budget of Rs. 22.25 crore has been sanctioned to implement these components in Tamil Nadu. The allocation will be Rs. 19.06 crore for the Department of Agriculture, and Rs. 3.19 crore for university,” he said.

P. Sankaralingam, Joint Director of Agriculture (Seeds), Commissionerate of Agriculture,Chennai, stressed the need for the successful implementation of the NADP in Tamil Nadu and requested the co-operation of the officers for achieving the objectives.

P. Subbian, Director (Agricultural Business Development), and S. Sundareswaran, Associate Professor of the university’s seed centre, spoke.

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