Use of subsidised seeds to be cross-checked through app

Those found misusing, hoarding seeds will lose benefit, says official

A.P. Seeds Corporation Managing Director G. Sekhar Babu interacting with farmers during distribution of subsidised groundnut seeds, in Anantapur on Thursday.

The Andhra Pradesh Seeds Corporation, which began supplying 8.4 lakh quintals of various seeds at subsidised prices to farmers all over the State from May 18, proposes to validate the proper utility of these seeds by specific farmers through e-Crop Booking so that there was no diversion for other purposes.

Grama Sachivalayam, Ward Sachivalayam app now has entire data of specific farmers who had availed themselves of subsidy benefit, which would be cross-checked with e-crop booking and discrepancies would be probed, said AP Seeds Corporation Vice-Chairman and Managing Director G. Sekhar Babu. “Those found misusing the seeds taken on subsidy for other purposes, or hoarding, would stop getting the benefits of subsidised seeds,” Mr. Babu told The Hindu .

Testing

The A.P. Seeds Corporation would be another retailer of seeds and fertilizers in villages ensuring quality product at competitive prices through pre-testing of seeds, fertilizers or pesticides at the storage hub. “Once the Rythu Bharosa Kendras are formally inaugurated in villages by month-end, online booking of all products (either subsidised or unsubsidised) can be done there and supplies made within 48 hours,” the MD said. Test results would be available in three days and if some products of a particular company were found defective or below par in quality, they would be legally dealt with and blacklisted if need be, he observed.

Varieties on sale

Currently, the corporation was selling 5.07 lakh quintals of subsidised groundnut seeds in four Rayalaseema districts – Kurnool, Kadapa, Chittoor and Anantapur – 2.28 lakh quintals of paddy in Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts, 82,900 quintals of green manure seeds, 20,288 quintals of pulses, and 3,310 quintals of millets, said Joint Director Agriculture (Seeds) V.D.V. Krupadas.

Red gram is used as inter-crop with groundnut, hence its seed was also being sold at 30% subsidy and soon millets would be up for sale at 50% subsidy and government wished to give a big push to millets farming in Anantapur district, said Deputy Director of Agriculture N.C.H. Balunaik, who is part of the team stationed at Anantapur AP Seeds Corporation office to streamline distribution.