Targetted agriculture growth cannot be achieved: Official

Coimbatore, Dec 21 (UNI) The targetted four per cent agricultural growth rate is unlikely to be achieved during tenth five-year plan, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC), Union Agriculture Ministry S L Bhat said today.

Addressing a national conference on 'Seed Quality Control' organised jointly by DAC and and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) here, Mr Bhat said the country' had achieved an agricultural growth rate of only one to 1.5 per cent during the plan which would end on March 2007.

''The country was forced to import wheat as the production has stagnated or declined in some areas,'' he said.

Keeping pace with the growth in population, food production also has to be increased, he said and added ''to ensure quantity and quality of agricultural produce new technology should be employed in seed production''.

Nearly 80 to 85 per cent of the farmers were still using 'farm saved' seeds, which was not advisable, he said.

Apart from upgrading farmers' skills in seed production, it was necessary to focus on the increase of seed production, particularly in areas where seed replacement ratio was low.

Mr Bhat said the enactment of 'Seed Bill' was in the advance stages and the Bill, if passed, would bring in a paradigm shift in seed production.

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