The 32nd International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) congress commenced here on Wednesday with several speakers at the inaugural session highlighting the importance of quality seed in improving farmers’ income.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kailash Choudhary, who inaugurated the eight-day event being held for the first time in Asia, said quality seed would also hold key to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plans to double the farmers’ income by 2022-23. He stated that the Centre, in association with the State government, was working continuously on improving the quality of seed being made available to the farming community.
Stating that in spite of various challenges faced by farmers India was the highest cotton producer in the world, Mr. Choudhary said the country’s share in high-value seed production was required to go up not only to improve its share in the global seed market but also to improve farmers’ income. He later opened an exhibition being held on the sidelines of the summit.
Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Sanjay Agarwal said Telangana State was growing as a global seed hub and the country’s bid to get the European Equivalence members to export seed to the European countries was in the process. He stated that as part of the Centre’s plans to improve quality of seed, traceability of seed through bar code and QR code was being made mandatory by June 2020.
Testing labs
Suggesting the ISTA authorities to give accreditation to seed testing labs first instead of membership to give a further boost to seed testing in the country and in turn to help improve quality of seed, Joint Secretary (Seeds) in the Ministry Ashwani Kumar said with suitable agro-climatic conditions, 130 seed testing labs, and 25 seed certification authorities, India was the fifth largest seed market in the world.
The country was able to release 234 new varieties of various crops including 34 bio-fortified ones in the last few years, he said adding that increasing productivity was highly challenging in the scenario of climate change. President of ISTA Craig McGill said there were 21 ISTA labs in India including six accredited ones.
Agriculture Minister S. Niranjan Reddy, Home Minister Mohd. Mahamood Ali, Principal Secretary (Agriculture) C. Parthasarathi, representing Telangana, also spoke.
Director General of ICRISAT Peter Carberry, National Seeds Corporation CMD V.K. Gaur, Telangana State Seed and Organic Certification Authority Director K. Keshavulu and others participated.