Govt to double seed replacement rate

Expressbuzz, May 11, 2009

BHUBANESWAR: The Agriculture Department has drawn up an ambitious plan to double the groundnut seed replacement rate this kharif for enhanced productivity. A cash crop, groundnut is cultivated in almost all the districts over 2.51 lakh hectares. While it is grown during kharif season in western Orissa, groundnut is a rabi crop in the coastal region including Ganjam.


While the total seed requirement of the State is about 3.5 lakh quintals, the Government has already procured certified seed of 14,500 quintals through Orissa State Seeds Corporation (OSSC), National Seeds Corporation and State Farm Corporation of India for distribution during this kharif. Less than 10,000 quintals of seed were supplied last kharif.

The Government has planed to go for seed multiplication from breeder to foundation seed in a big way. The groundnut seed multiplication programme will be taken up over 8,000 hectares in Angul, Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Nuapara, Nabarangpur and Sundargarh districts to meet the State’s requirement, Agriculture and Food Production Director Arabinda Padhee said.

From last year, the Government has stopped procuring certified groundnut seed from the neighbouring states.

Although the seed price has not been announced, the Agriculture Department has decided to provide 50 per cent subsidy on breeder seeds under Seed Village Programme.

While average procurement price of certified groundnut seed is about Rs 3,750 a quintal, the Government is providing to the farmers at Rs 2,200.

Productivity of the oilseed in the State is almost matching that of the national average of 18 quintals per hectare, Padhi said adding, arrangements are also made to supply adequate gypsum to the farmers. Rich in phosphorus, gypsum helps in pod formation and increase in the oil content in the seed in a big way.

While the agriculture directorate will provide necessary technical support to the farmers, necessary instructions have been issued to primary agriculture cooperative societies and service cooperative societies to increase the credit flow to the farmers.

As groundnut cultivation is mostly taken up in rainfed areas, everything depends on the monsoon, Padhee said.