TV
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday asked the State Seeds Corporation and Agriculture department officials to intensify their efforts to boost seeds production for pulses, oilseeds and stress resistant paddy in the state.
With the seed replacement rate (SRR) for non-paddy crops declining by nearly 70 per cent in the state, the chief minister directed the concerned officials to make efforts to increase the ratio.
While reviewing the various works and projects under taken by the State Seeds Corporation at the State secretariat here on Monday, Patnaik said the government had set a target to increase the SRR for paddy to 35 per cent, biri (black gram) and moong to 20 per cent each, groundnut to 33 per cent and mustard to 33 per cent by the 2018-19 financial year.
The meeting also decided to increase the Corpus Fund from Rs 60 crore to Rs 100 crore to ensure timely payment to seed growers so that farmers can avail high quality seeds in time.
It was also decided in the meeting to set up more storage godowns across the state for creating additional storage capacity. Besides, two more Processing Plants will be established at Parlakhemundi and Junagarh, the meeting decided.
Jogendra Tripathy, chairman of State Seeds Corporation said, “The Chief Minister reviewed various works and projects undertaken by the Seeds Corporation. Our demand to appoint a seed production officer at each district was approved by the CM. Besides, he has also decided to increase the Corpus Fund to ensure timely payment to the farmers.”
Among others, Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathi, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, , Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Upendra Nath Behera, Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan, Chairman of OSSC, Agriculture Principal Secretary and senior officials of the department were present during the review meeting.
