Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation Rajesh Kumar Singh has said certification of seed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) will improve export of seed from the country by a large extent.
Speaking at a meeting on seed certification for exports to OECD countries here on Monday, he said seed companies would get opportunities to enhance their trade at international level and the extent of such crops would also grow locally.
He asked the State governments to make efforts to get International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) certification labs for getting membership in the OECD and other international bodies so that seed produced in the State could be exported.
Stating that Telangana was fortunate enough to have most suitable weather conditions for production of seed, Mr. Singh said the ISTA would conduct its conference in Hyderabad in 2019. Minister P. Srinivas Reddy said there were about 400 seed companies in the State producing about 60 per cent of the seed required for needs in the country.
The seed production activity was providing direct employment to 17,000 people and another 2 lakh farmers were participating in the seed production activity. Secretary (Agriculture) C. Parthasarathi stated that the Telangana State Seed Certification Agency had been appointed as the OECD seed certifying authority for Telangana, AP, Chhattisgarh and Odisha States. Seed companies in the State were producing quality seed of paddy, maize, sorghum, vegetables and fodder crops. Certification of seed by OECD would help seed companies promote their seed in 60 OECD members countries, he noted.
It is to be exported to 60 countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development
