The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany has extended the Indo-German Cooperation on Seed Development project by three years. It has also announced establishing an Indo-German Knowledge Centre in Hyderabad for capacity-building of seed industry in India, particularly Telangana.
This was stated by Director of Telangana State Seed and Organic Certification Authority (TSSOCA) K. Keshavulu on Tuesday over the phone from Berlin. Quoting the German Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Julia Kloeckner, Mr . Keshavulu told The Hindu that Ms. Kloeckner had announced the decisions at World Food Convention held in Berlin on June 26. Along with Mr. Keshavulu, Vemulawada legislator Chennamaneni Ramesh is attending the convention.
Officials of the Agriculture Department said the existing two-year Indo-German seed project initiated to support the Indian seed industry in providing the country’s farmers with high-quality seeds, strengthening their competitive position and improving conditions for international cooperation would conclude by the year-end.
The German Minister, Mr Keshavulu said, had stated that they were giving priority to India, Mongolia and Ethiopia in extending cooperation for quality seed production, processing and export. She had complimented the efforts of the TSSOCA in exporting seed to OECD countries for the last two years. She had also announced forming a global seed advisory body for preparing a policy on quality seed production, processing, testing, exports and imports.
At the event, Mr. Ramesh said the Telangana government was establishing a global seed valley/park at Banda Mylaram near Hyderabad on about 100 acres to transform Telangana into a global hub of seed industry. It already had about 400 seed firms, including multi-national companies, he said. He handed over a letter addressed to Ms. Kloeckner by Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao, inviting her to attend the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) Congress to be held in Hyderabad from June 26 to July 3 next year.