Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo today reviewed plans for procurement of seeds and seed germplasm for the Union Territory, here at a meeting held here in the Civil Secretariat.
The Directors of Agriculture from both provinces provided updates on the registration of Certified Seed Producers (CSPs) to ensure availability of sufficient seed stocks for crops such as pulses, vegetables, paddy, maize, potato and oil seeds.
Atal Dulloo stressed the importance of ensuring that the seeds are tested and that the CSPs have the capacity to provide the required quantity. He also directed that the tendering process be completed well in advance and asked about the availability of funds with the departments. The Directors were instructed to ensure the availability of seeds before March 15, 2023.
The ACS also directed the Directors to sign necessary MoUs with the National Seeds Corporation and to prepare their farms for producing foundation seeds in order to achieve the required seed replacement rate in near future. The requirement of breeder seeds for the next financial year, its Rabi and Kharif seasons and subsequent years was also discussed.
The Director Agriculture Kashmir assured that the target of 250 registered CSPs would be achieved by the end of the current financial year and that sufficient quantities of paddy seeds are available.
In talks with the Animal Husbandry Department, the ACS emphasised the need for increasing semen stock and procurement of bulls to ensure that the UT is self-sufficient in cattle stock. He highlighted the importance of upgrading semen stock in the UT and the need for Artificial Insemination infrastructure for the production of high quality semen.
The Directors were instructed to issue tenders for procurement of bulls and to provide training in artificial insemination under the Multi-purpose AI Technician in Rural India (MAITRI) program.
The meeting was attended by Directors of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry department from both the provinces, representatives from SKUAST and other officers.