Subsidised seeds provide far lower than farmers’ requirement in Odisha’s Sundargarh

By Express News Service

ROURKELA: Deprived of subsidised seeds, a majority of farmers within the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district are pressured to obtain quality-compromised seeds from personal sources resulting in low crop yield.

The Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC), the one authorities physique to provide subsidised seeds to farmers has been provisioning solely 10,000-12,000 quintals of licensed hi-yield seeds for the previous few years. But the district administration reportedly doesn’t put it on report.

In 2021 Kharif season, the goal was to distribute 28,900 quintals of licensed seeds, but in actuality, 21,415 quintals had been equipped of which hardly 10,000 quintals had been supplied by the OSSC, whereas the remainder 11,415 quintals got here from different sources with no correct information.

Sources within the district administration mentioned, for the 2023 kharif season the goal is to distribute 30,000 quintals of licensed seeds by 44 LAMPCs (Large And Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies), two different cooperative centres and 115 registered personal seeds sellers. But with  OSSC not in a position to meet the requirement, seeds are procured from government-approved personal firms who fetch it from Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and some different states. In the method, farmers get compromised seeds.

Even when farmers buy seeds from personal sellers instantly, they find yourself paying extra however don’t get the specified yield. At the identical time, they lose a subsidy of Rs 15 per kg, sources added. Former deputy director of agriculture AN Satpathy mentioned the precise seed demand for Sundargarh district is about 80,000-90,000 quintals. But the OSSC is just not ready to satisfy the demand.

“Considering the climatic and rainfall conditions of Sundargarh about 60 percent of farmers demand short duration seeds of 110 to 125 days, while the rest rely on medium duration seeds of up to 140 days. But the farmers are not able to get seeds of their choice,” mentioned Satpathy. Incidentally, the mixed capability of three seed multiplication farms and processing items in Sundargarh is lower than 2,000 quintals.

A senior agriculture official, on situation of anonymity, mentioned the administration’s seed substitute fee in Sundargarh is about 30 per cent which incorporates government-supplied licensed seeds, farmers in possession of licensed varieties and procurement from government-approved personal sellers.

In-charge chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) Harihar Naik mentioned there isn’t any problem with licensed seeds distribution. “So far about 10,000 quintals have been supplied and the administration is in possession of another 10,000 quintals for distribution depending on rainfall pattern,” Naik added.

ROURKELA: Deprived of subsidised seeds, a majority of farmers within the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district are pressured to obtain quality-compromised seeds from personal sources resulting in low crop yield.

The Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC), the one authorities physique to provide subsidised seeds to farmers has been provisioning solely 10,000-12,000 quintals of licensed hi-yield seeds for the previous few years. But the district administration reportedly doesn’t put it on report.

In 2021 Kharif season, the goal was to distribute 28,900 quintals of licensed seeds, but in actuality, 21,415 quintals had been equipped of which hardly 10,000 quintals had been supplied by the OSSC, whereas the remainder 11,415 quintals got here from different sources with no correct information.googletag.cmd.push(perform() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

Sources within the district administration mentioned, for the 2023 kharif season the goal is to distribute 30,000 quintals of licensed seeds by 44 LAMPCs (Large And Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies), two different cooperative centres and 115 registered personal seeds sellers. But with  OSSC not in a position to meet the requirement, seeds are procured from government-approved personal firms who fetch it from Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and some different states. In the method, farmers get compromised seeds.

Even when farmers buy seeds from personal sellers instantly, they find yourself paying extra however don’t get the specified yield. At the identical time, they lose a subsidy of Rs 15 per kg, sources added. Former deputy director of agriculture AN Satpathy mentioned the precise seed demand for Sundargarh district is about 80,000-90,000 quintals. But the OSSC is just not ready to satisfy the demand.

“Considering the climatic and rainfall conditions of Sundargarh about 60 percent of farmers demand short duration seeds of 110 to 125 days, while the rest rely on medium duration seeds of up to 140 days. But the farmers are not able to get seeds of their choice,” mentioned Satpathy. Incidentally, the mixed capability of three seed multiplication farms and processing items in Sundargarh is lower than 2,000 quintals.

A senior agriculture official, on situation of anonymity, mentioned the administration’s seed substitute fee in Sundargarh is about 30 per cent which incorporates government-supplied licensed seeds, farmers in possession of licensed varieties and procurement from government-approved personal sellers.

In-charge chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) Harihar Naik mentioned there isn’t any problem with licensed seeds distribution. “So far about 10,000 quintals have been supplied and the administration is in possession of another 10,000 quintals for distribution depending on rainfall pattern,” Naik added.