Guwahati: Assam’s agriculture minister, Atul Bora, said on Wednesday that he is determined to improve the seed replacement rate (SRR) and seed vertical rate (SVR) in the state.
Speaking at a national conference on strengthening the traditional seed system held at the Mayfair Hotel on the outskirts of Guwahati, Bora said he sees an opportunity to lift SRR in Assam from 40 percent to 91 percent “as in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.” SRR is a measure of the cropped area covered with quality seed.
“Seeds are the backbone of crop production, and traditional seeds, with their inherent qualities, play a vital role in overcoming local challenges," noted Bora.
Bora added that to recognize the unique identity and importance of the informal seed system for small and marginal farmers, the state government is taking “proactive measures” through the department of agriculture and the Assam Seed Corporation.
The two-day conference is being organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, India, through its SuATI Project (Support to Agroecological Transformation Processes in India).
With nearly 100 farmers and agricultural scientists from various states in attendance, the conference seeks to increase awareness of the importance of smallholder seed systems for sustainable agriculture, discuss problems faced by farmers, foster priority setting and pooling of scientific, technical, and financial resources, and discuss the role of stakeholders in promoting participatory research on seed production and marketing.
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