Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved to set up and promote a national-level multi-state seed cooperative society which will help to increase the Seed Replacement Rate (SRR), and Varietal Replacement Rate (VRR), ensuring the role of farmers in quality seed cultivation and seed variety trials, production and distribution of certified seeds with a single brand name by utilizing the network of all levels of cooperatives.
The society will act as an apex organization for the production, procurement, processing, branding, labelling, packaging, storage, marketing and distribution of quality seeds; strategic research and development; and to develop a system for the preservation and promotion of indigenous natural seeds; through various cooperative societies across the country, stated a Ministry of Cooperation statement issued following the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The national-level multi-state seed cooperative society will be set up under Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002, and it will work with support from relevant ministries especially the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the National Seed Corporation (NSC) through their schemes and agencies following the 'Whole of the Government Approach'.
Prime Minister has observed that all efforts should be made to leverage the strengths of cooperatives and transform them into successful and vibrant business enterprises to realize the vision of "Sahakar-se-Samriddhi' as cooperatives hold the key to rural economic transformation in the country in agriculture and allied sectors.
"Primary to national level cooperatives societies including primary societies, district, state and national level federations and multi-state cooperative societies can become its member. All these cooperatives will have their elected representatives in the Board of the society as per its bye-laws," said the statement.
"The proposed society will help to increase the seed replacement rate, varietal replacement rate, ensuring the role of farmers in quality seed cultivation and seed variety trials, production and distribution of certified seeds with a single brand name, by utilizing the network of all levels of cooperatives," said the statement.
The availability of quality seeds will help in increasing agricultural productivity strengthening food security and also increasing the income of the farmers, it further said.
The members will benefit both by the realization of better prices by the production of quality seeds, higher production of crops by the use of High Yielding Variety (HYV)seeds and also by dividends distributed out of the surplus generated by the society.
"The seed cooperative society will involve all forms of cooperative structures and all other means to increase the SRR, VRR by ensuring the role of farmers in quality seed cultivation and seed variety trials, production and distribution of certified seeds with a single brand name."
It further added that quality seeds production through this national-level seed cooperative society will increase the agriculture production in the country thereby leading to more employment in the agriculture and cooperative sector; reducing the dependence on imported seeds and providing a boost to the rural economy, promoting "Make in India" and leading to "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliant India).
( With inputs from ANI )
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