New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday inaugurated the newly established state-of-the-art vegetable and flower seed processing and packaging unit of the National Seeds Corporation (NSC) at Pusa Institute here and also virtually inaugurated five NSC seed processing plants located at Bareilly, Dharwad, Hassan, Suratgarh and Raichur.

The vegetable seed processing plant at Beej Bhawan in the Pusa complex has a processing capacity of 1 tonne per hour, while the other five NSC plants have a capacity of 4 tonnes per hour each. These facilities are equipped with advanced technologies to ensure the availability of high-quality seeds to farmers and to enhance the quality of seed production across the country.

During the programme, Chouhan also launched the ‘Seed Management 2.0’ system and an online seed booking platform for farmers. Through this platform, farmers will now be able to book their seed requirements online, ensuring greater transparency and accessibility. He emphasised that it is crucial for quality seeds to reach small and marginal farmers for enhancing their incomes.

Chouhan stated that the new facilities will ensure easy access to high-quality seeds, significantly improving agricultural productivity.

“These new plants will fulfil farmers’ requirements, which is extremely important. During the recently conducted ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’, the maximum number of complaints received were related to spurious and substandard seeds. Hence, ensuring the supply of quality seeds is essential, and NSC has a vital role to play in this. The government is taking strict measures in this regard,” the Union Minister said.

Commending the NSC team, Chouhan described this initiative as a major step towards a self-reliant agricultural system, adding that the role of NSC is not merely to earn a livelihood but to fill the nation’s grain reserves.

The minister also participated in the National Agricultural Students Conference organised at the Pusa Institute. The conference witnessed large participation from agricultural students from across the country, along with thousands joining virtually. Agricultural scientists, professors, and senior officials from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and agricultural universities also participated.

In his address, Chouhan expressed concern over the large number of vacant posts in agricultural institutions. He directed the Director General of ICAR to take immediate action to fill these vacancies to ensure quality education.

The Union Minister further announced that he would write to all Chief Ministers to expedite the filling of vacant posts in agricultural universities and colleges in their respective states and discuss the matter with the concerned agriculture ministers.

The conference aimed to promote innovation, research, modern technologies, and knowledge exchange in the agricultural sector. It sought to enhance the quality of agricultural education, inspire young talent, and strengthen research initiatives through active engagement with students.

He emphasised the need for grading agricultural universities and colleges to encourage healthy competition and urged ICAR to study global best practices and adapt them to the Indian context.

–IANS

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