Secretary Agriculture Production Department, Showkat Ahmad Beigh today chaired a meeting of senior officers of Agriculture, Revenue Departments and representatives of National Seed Corporation of India Ltd (NSCI) to finalize the draft memorandum of understanding for establishing Seed Processing and Storage Unit in the State at Taraf Manjali Kathua.The proposed unit is a welfare step of the Union and State Governments for the benefit of farming community.The meeting was informed that for the first time, National Seed Corporation is establishing Seed Processing Plant in the State for the benefit of the farming community. “The setting up of the unit is aimed at augmenting quality seed supply to the farmers which shall be readily available to them in adequate quantity and at the right time”.Beigh said Seed being the most vital and crucial input for crop production and a high quality seed can boost productivity and production and in turn increase the income of the farmers.
“Establishing our own Seed Processing Unit will ultimately help in doubling the income of farmers of J&K State in the years to come”.He said with the establishment of this unit at Kathua, the farmers of the state will get a big relief as the State Agriculture Department is presently procuring the processed seed from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.During the meeting the Secretary Agriculture issued instructions to speed up the process for establishment of Seed Processing Unit in J & K for which government has already transferred 16 kanals of land to Agriculture Department.Beigh said the tentative cost of Seed Processing Unit including storage facility is Rs. 8.00 crore which shall be borne entirely by National Seed Corporation of India Limited.The meeting was attended by the officers of Revenue Department, National Seed Corporation Ltd. and other senior officers of the Agriculture Department.