Kharif 2025: Govt Expedites Quality Breeder Seeds Delivery - Lok Sabha

New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI) The government is expediting delivery of quality breeder seeds for the forthcoming Kharif season beginning June, Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

"Breeder seed production in sufficient ...(quantity) has been planned from Rabi 2024-25 and processing for Kharif 2025 for expediting delivery of seed to the farmers," Choudhary said in a written reply to the lower house.

Since 2014, a total of 11.85 lakh quintals of breeder seeds have been produced and supplied to various public and private sector seed agencies for downstream multiplication to foundation and certified seeds, he added.

The minister noted that over 70 per cent of the total seed supply comprises varieties of less than 10 years old.

Systematic efforts have been undertaken to produce breeder and quality seeds of these varieties as per indents received from different agencies, Choudhary said.

He highlighted that out of 2,900 developed field crop varieties, 537 varieties have been specially developed for extreme climate using precision phenotyping tools.

The minister said awareness about these varieties is being created among seed production agencies and farmers through Doordarshan channels, All India Radio, print, electronic and social media.

Frontline demonstrations of improved crop cultivars are regularly conducted throughout the country by ICAR institutions and SAUs, while Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) demonstrate these improved varieties to farmers for large-scale adoption, he added.