Assam Seed Corporation Limited gets 40 seed farms to boost output

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The state's Agriculture Department has handed over 40 of its seed farms to the Assam Seed Corporation Limited (ASC) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, as per which the latter will produce quality seeds of various crops using advanced agricultural technology.

The MoU was signed by Anant Lal Gyani, Director of Agriculture, and Bidyut Bikash Bhagawati, Managing Director of ASC.

Speaking on the occasion, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora said that the role of quality seed is always important to increase agricultural production. The ASC has to play a vital role to make Assam self-sufficient in seed production by producing quality seeds of various crops which will be supplied to the farmers of the state under various departmental schemes, he said.

Bora said that that the Agriculture Department has already taken various measures on the basis of the recommendation of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to make Assam self-sufficient in seed production of various crops. The Minister said that the seeds supplied to the farmers by the Agriculture Department in the recent past were of good quality and urged the departmental officers to keep a close eye on the seeds supplied to the farmers by the private seed outlets in different districts of the state.

It may be mentioned that the 40 seed farms are located in different districts of the state and cover a total area of 480 hectares, out of which 367 hectares are suitable for seed production. The seed farms, which will be operated through PPP (Public-Private Partnership) mode, have the capacity to produce around 11,000 quintal of paddy foundation seeds, 1,500 quintal of pulses foundation seeds and 1,000 quintal of mustard foundation seeds.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Prabin Hazarika, chairman of ASC, Paban Badia, vice chairman of ASC, Subrata Roy Bardahan and Tej Prasad Bhushal, Additional Secretaries of the Agriculture Department, Gunajit Kashyap, Joint Secretary of the Agriculture Department, and other officials.

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