New Delhi, India
January 6, 2009
Thanks to
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Seed Project,
'Seed Production in Agricultural Crops and Fisheries', which was
launched during X Five Year Plan for 2005-06 and 2006-07 has
made significant impact on national seed production scenario in
last three years.
Quantum jump in seed production of field crops encompassing
breeder, foundation, certified and truthfully labeled seeds; in
saplings/ planting material production of horticultural crops
and in fry/ spawn/ fingerlings production of fisheries, has been
recorded within two years of inception of the ICAR network
project namely, Seed Production in Agricultural Crops and
Fisheries, operating at 85 cooperating centres countrywide.
Quality seed production has increased from 2.92 lakh quintals to
8.55 lakh quintals, under horticultural crops production of
saplings/ planting materials including tissue culture plantlets
enhanced from 51.16 lakhs to 285.33 lakhs during 2007- 08,
mushroom spawn production grown from 1003 packets to 1,38,386
packets annually during the period. Under fisheries component
annual fry/ spawn/ fingerling production rose from 491.0 lakhs
to 5204.32 lakhs.
As the project envisaged to strengthen the seed production and
processing infrastructure at State Agricultural Universities and
ICAR institutes, and also provided funds for recurring
expenditure in the form of revolving fund the profit generated
of Rs. 19 crores through seed production activities.
In the Review Meeting of the project organized yesterday, Dr
Mangala Rai, Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR expressed satisfaction
over the progress made and congratulated the scientists engaged
in the implementation of the project. He however, advised to
avoid complacency and stressed on demand driven seed production
with greatest care for quality maintenance.
Dr. Rai informed that during XI Five Year Plan, other components
important for augmenting Indian agriculture, are also being
given due impetus to boost the overall agricultural growth of
the country. As seed, in view of its broad definition includes
all kinds of propagates capable of regenerating true to the type
organisms, DG, ICAR further opined that funds provided in the
project may be utilized even for multiplication of efficient
strains of earth warms to support the compost preparation and
its availability that in turn would enhance the soil health and
its productivity.
For effective dissemination of seed related information
launching of websites by all seed producing centres was stressed
by Dr Mangala Rai. He felt that with enhanced and timely
availability of quality seeds the day is not far away when our
country would experience a 'Rainbow Revolution' covering each
and every component of Indian agriculture.
About 200 participants including Vice Chancellors of State
Agricultural Universities, Directors of ICAR institutes,
officials from ICAR Head Quarters, scientists and seed
technologists from various parts of the country participated and
made deliberations in the gracious presence of DDG (Fisheries)
and DDG (Horticulture), ICAR during the review meeting. |
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