Assam govt to extend technical support to strengthening traditional seed system

GUWAHATI, Assam: The Assam government has announced initiatives to improve the Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) and Seed Vertical Rate (SVR) in the state.

Addressing the National Conference on Strengthening the Traditional Seed System, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora stated that the government recognizes the crucial role traditional seeds play in overcoming local challenges and ensuring food security.

"We saw an opportunity to lift SRR from 40% to 91% in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh," Bora said, highlighting the potential for significant improvement. He emphasized the need for a sustainable seed system that guarantees consistent availability of high-quality seeds at affordable prices for smallholder farmers.

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Bora said the challenges faced by smallholders regarding inefficient seed production, distribution, and quality assurance systems.

He "pledged" for financial and even more importantly, technical support to indigenous farmers preserving the traditional seed system.

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Farmer Mohan Bora from Jorhat pointed out the need for a smallholder-friendly policy to promote the traditional seed system.

Agriculture Director Bhaskar Pegu responded positively, confirming the government's commitment to developing such policies.

The two-day conference, organized by GIZ India and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), brought together nearly 100 farmers and agricultural scientists from across India.

The event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of smallholder seed systems, discuss challenges and foster collaboration for their strengthening.