Seed industry seeks policy support to boost exports

The seed industry has called for policy support from the Centre to facilitate exports from the country.

“There is a huge scope for exports of seeds. But we need policy support. We need to ease processes that facilitate exports,” M Prabhakara Rao, President of National Seed Association of India (NSAI), said.

Addressing the 8th National Seed Congress here on Tuesday, Rao said the industry would require government support in getting their products evaluated in the export destinations without much delay.

GV Bhaskara Rao, Chairman and Managing Director of Kaveri Seeds, asked the governments to ensure insurance cover for seed growers to protect them from the vagaries of seasons.

He wanted the Telangana government to start a Post-Graduate programme in Seed Technologies to produce skilled manpower in the area of seed production.

The proposal was immediately accepted by the Telangana Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy who said a course would be introduced in the agricultural university.

Meanwhile, the Telangana government has set up a committee to vet the applications from seed firms and research bodies to take up agri bio-technology field trials in the State.

Panel for GM trials The Centre has mandated the firms and research agencies to get a non-objection certificate (NOC) from the State governments before going for field trials. Though the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) accords permission for field trials for genetically modified crops at the Central level, the firms and other research agencies must approach the States in which they want to conduct the trials.

Only a few States have appointed dedicated committees to study such applications and grant permissions. The Telangana government has appointed a six-member committee to look into such appeals. The committee will be headed by the Secretary in the State’s Agriculture and Cooperation Department. The Director of Agriculture would act as member-convener of the committee.

The other members in the panel would be Director of Research (Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University); Special Secretary (Environment, Forest, Science and Technology Department), Nominee of Director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and the Commissioner of Horticulture.

The private sector seed firms have alleged that endless delays in getting NOCs are resulting in hampering the pace of research, drastically delaying product releases.

CRIDA nod The State government has issued an order on Tuesday to name the committee, following a plea from the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture seeking an NOC for its field trials.