Punjab to replace wheat seed every 3 yrs, slashes seed rates

Chandigarh, June 21 (UNI) Punjab Government has decided to replace 100 per cent wheat seed after every three years and was providing fresh certified seeds of other crops on reduced rates to boost agro-production, Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah said here today.

Most of the available seed of wheat had lost its optimum potency and there was immediate need to make available the required fresh seed, Mr Langah said adding that about 34 lakh quintals of wheatseed was used by famrers every year in the state.

To achieve a higher growth rate in the farm sector, the state Government had decided to reduce rates of certified seeds. In this regard prices of BT cotton seed had been slashed from Rs 1350 to Rs 760 per pack, directly benefiting the farmers to the tune of Rs 90 crore.

Besides, 15,35,000 packets of B T cotton seed were made available which would be sufficient for sowing of 6 lack hectare.

1,30,639 quintal paddy seed, 33000 quintal seed for maize and 452 quintal seed was provided for pulses of Kharif season to farmers, Mr Langah said.

Mr Langah stressed that over the years, the quality of the available seed stocks of various crops has deteriorated and there was need for improvement in the seed preparing technology.

To achieve the desired results, Punseed, a government organisation that provided some part of the seed stocks to farmers would also be overhauled and modernised, he added.

UNI