Programmes and Schemes

  
       
 

1

CENTRAL SECTOR SCHEME ‘DEVELOPMENT AND  STRENGTHENING OF INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES FOR   PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF QUALITY SEED’

  
       
   

The restructured Central Sector Scheme “Development and Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities for Production and Distribution of Quality Seeds” is under implementation from the year 2005-06.

 

The objective of the scheme is to develop and strengthen the existing infrastructure for the production and distribution of certified /quality seeds to farmers. The details of the components of the scheme are as under:

  
       
    (i) Assistance for Boosting Seed Production in the Private Sector  
         
    ii) Seed Village Scheme  
         
    iii) Transport subsidy on Movement of seeds  
         
    iv) Establishment and Maintenance of Seed Bank  
         
    v) Quality Control Arrangements on Seeds  
         
    vi) Assistance for Creation/Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities for production and distribution of quality seeds  
         
    vii) Human Resource Development  
         
    viii) Boosting Seed Export  
         
    ix) Use of Bio-technology in Agriculture  
         
    x) Promoting Hybrid Rice Seeds  
       
       
 

2

 CENTRAL SECTOR SCHEME FOR ‘PROTECTION OF PLANT VARIETIES & FARMERS’ RIGHTS’  
       
   

The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has approved the Scheme for PPV&FR for its continuation in 11th Five Year Plan with a total outlay of Rs. 120 crore. The Scheme will have 12 components and will be a back-up support scheme for implementation of provisions of PPV&FR Act, 2001 (53 of 2001) by PPV&FR Authority.   

Guidelines 

1.

Name of Scheme

Scheme for Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights.

2.

Type

Central Sector Scheme

3.

Year of commencement

1999-2000

4.

Objectives

To strengthen Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights  (PPV&FR) Authority to  implement the provisions of PPV&FR Act, 2001.

5.

Salient features

·      To strengthen the PPV&FR Authority to enable it to carry out its objectives. 

·      To strengthen and equipping the DUS Test Centres for conducting DUS Tests and formulation of DUS Test Guidelines in respect of field crops, trees, horticultural, plantation, medicinal and aromatic plants and other associate crops.

6.

Structure of scheme

The components of the Scheme as approved by EFC for 11th Plan are –

1)  Operational cost of Head Office of PPV&FR Authority.

2)    Establishment of Branch Offices of the Plant Varieties Registry.

3)    Construction of PPV & FR Authority Campus.

4)    Maintenance of reference varieties and other related activities by old DUS Test Centres.

5)    Development of DUS guidelines for new crops.

6)    Establishment/strengthening of Gene Bank facilities.

7)    Support to referral laboratories to test the special characters of notified species.

8)    Establishment of network system for DUS testing and management of database and information system.

9)    Establishment of library, Publication unit, Farmers’ Rights Cell, awareness about PPV&FR Act, 2001 and training and capacity building.

10)  Establishment of Plant Varieties Protection Appellate Tribunal.

11)  Contribution to Gene fund.

 12) Attending international seminars, workshops, meetings relating to this Scheme and Contribution for Membership of international organizations/treaties concerning the Scheme.

7.

Pattern of assistance

The Scheme will be fully funded by the Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation.

8.

Eligibility

Department of Agriculture & Cooperation will release lump-sum grants-in-aid under the Scheme to the PPV&FR Authority.

9.

Area of operation

The Scheme will cover all states and Union Territories in India.

10.

Procedure to apply

Identified centers for DUS testing are required to submit proposals to PPV&FR Authority for financial assistance, as per the norms of the Scheme approved by EFC. 

11.

BE outlay, expenditure, year-wise, during Tenth/Eleventh Five Year Plan (Rs. in crore)

Year

BE

RE

Actual expenditure

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

 

5.50

5.00

8.50

9.10

10.00

1.00

5.00

9.27

6.10

5.00

0.32

4.99

7.59

4.14

4.12

4.18

5.83

5.00

7.00

 

 

4.94

7.00

 

 

12.

Person to be contacted

Joint Secretary (Seeds), Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Government of India, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.

 

Chairperson, PPV&FR Authority, NASC Complex, Pus, New Delhi-110012.”

 

Website of  PLANT VARIETIES & FARMERS’ RIGHTS Authority, the Implementing agency of the Scheme

  
       
  3 Other Schemes of Government of India Providing Assistance for Seeds  
       
       
   

 Scheme/

Component

Crop

Scale of Assistance

Macro Management

Mode of Agriculture-State Work Plan

Rice and Wheat

Bajra, Jowar, Ragi and Barley

(i)   Rs.500/- per quintal or 50% of the cost, whichever is less for certified seed distribution for rice and wheat.

(ii)  Rs.800/- per quintal or 50% of the cost, whichever is less for certified seed distribution of varieties for Bajra, Jowar and Barley

(iii)  Rs.1000/- per quintal for certified seed distribution of hybrid of Bajra and Jowar.

(iv) Rs.1000/- quintal or 50% of the cost, whichever is less for assistance for production hybrid rice seed.

(v)  Rs.2000/- per quintal or 50% of the cost, whichever is less assistance for production hybrid rice seed distribution.

Integrated Scheme on Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm and Maize

All Oilseeds, Pulses and Maize

 

 

Oil Palm Sprouts

(i)  Full cost for purchase of Breeder seed.

(ii)  Rs.1000/- quintal for foundation and certified seed production.

(iii) Rs.1200/- per quintal or 25% of Seeds cost whichever is less for certified seed distribution.

(iv) Full cost of Seed Minikits of high yielding varieties (implementing agency NSC/SFCI).

(v)  75% of the cost with a ceiling of Rs.7500/ha.for entire land holding of farmers.

Technology Mission on Cotton

Cotton Seed

(i)   50% of the cost or Rs.50/- per kg. whichever is less for foundation seed production. 

(ii)  25% of the cost or Rs..15/- per kg. whichever is less for Certified seed production.

(iii)  Rs.20/- per kg. for certified seed  distribution.

(iv) 50% of the cost limited to Rs.40/- per kg. seed treatment

Technology Mission on Jute and Mesta

Jute and Mesta

(i)   50% of the  cost limited to Rs.3000/- per quintal for  foundation seed production.

(ii)  25% of the  cost limited to Rs.700/- per quintal for  Certified seed production

(iii) 50% of the cost limited to Rs.2000/- per quintal for certified seed distribution.

National Food

Security Mission

Rice

(i)   Rs.1000/- per quintal or 50% of the cost whichever is less for certified hybrid rice seed production.

(ii)  Rs.2000/- per quintal or 50% of Seeds cost whichever is less for certified hybrid rice seed distribution.

(iii) Rs.5/- per kg.. or 50% of the cost, whichever is less for certified high yielding varieties seed distribution.

(iv) Full cost of Seed Minikits of high yielding varieties.

 

Wheat

(i)  Rs.5/- per kg. or 50% of the cost whichever is less for certified high yielding varieties seed distribution

(ii)  Full cost of Seed Minikits of high yielding varieties.

 

Pulses

(i)   Rs.1000/- per quintal for foundation and certified seeds production.

(ii)  Rs.1200/- per quintal or 50% of the cost whichever is less for certified seed distribution.

(iii)  Full cost of Seed Minikits of high yielding varieties

Seed Village Programme

All Agricultural Crops

(i)  To upgrade the quality of farmer saved seed financial assistance for distribution of foundation/certified seeds at 50% cost of the seed for production of quality seeds.

(ii)  Assistance to train the farmers on seed production and seed technology @ Rs.15000/- for a group of 50-150 farmers.

(iii)  to encourage farmers to develop storage capacity of appropriate quality  assistance @ 33% subject to a maximum of Rs. 3000/- for SC/ST farmers and @ 25% subject to maximum of Rs. 2000/- for other farmers for procuring seeds storage bin of 20 qtl. capacity .Assistance @ 33%  subject to maximum of Rs. 1500/- to SC/ST farmers and @ 25% subject to maximum of Rs. 1000/- for other farmers for making seeds storage bin of 10 qtl. capacity in the seed villages where seed village scheme is being implemented.

Transport subsidy on Movement of Seeds to North Eastern States including Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand & Hill areas of West Bengal

 All certified seeds excluding potato

(i)  100% difference between road and rail transportation charge is being reimbursed to implementing States/Agencies for movement of seeds produced from outside the State to the identified State Capital/District Headquarter.

(ii)  Actual cost restricted to maximum limit of Rs.60/- per quintal  whichever is less for movement of seeds transported within the State from State Capital/District Headquarter to sale outlets/sale counters is being reimbursed.

Hybrid Rice Seed Production

Only Rice

Hybrid Rice Seed Production assistance Rs.2000/qtls.  

Hybrid Rice Seed Distribution assistance Rs2500/qtls.

Creation and Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities

All Crops

To create/strengthen infrastructure facilities for production and distribution of quality seeds for the States/State Seeds Corporation financial assistance for creating facilities for seed cleaning, grading, processing, packing and seed storage is being provided in public sector

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana

All Crops

All Activities including Seed Infrastructure  Facilities

 

  

 

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(i) Assistance for Boosting Seed Production in the Private Sector:

 

Under this component, credit linked back-ended capital subsidy is provided at the rate of 25% of the project cost subject to a maximum limit of Rs. 25.00 lakh per unit on seed infrastructure development. Private Companies, individual entrepreneurs, self-help groups, seed co-operatives, partnership farms are eligible for subsidy. The component is implemented through Nationalised Banks/Scheduled Commercial Banks and National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC). The assistance is for creation of infrastructure facilities relating to seed cleaning, grading, processing, seed treating, packaging and storage units as well as for seed testing facilities.  This assistance is primarily for low value and high volume seeds.  National Seed Corporation is the nodal agency for implementation and monitoring of this component.

 

Guidelines

 

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ii) Seed Village Scheme :

 

To upgrade the quality of farmer-saved seed, which is about 80-85% of the total seed used for crop production programme, financial assistance is provided for distribution of foundation/certified seed at 50% cost of the seed of crops for production of certified/quality seeds only and for training on seed production and technology to the farmers.

 

The seed produced in these seed villages are preserved/stored till the next sowing season.  In order to encourage farmers to develop storage capacity of appropriate quality, assistance is given to farmers for making/procuring of Pusa Bin/Mud bin/Bin made from paper pulp for storing of seed produced by the frames on their farms.

 

Guidelines

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iii) Transport subsidy on Movement of seeds :-

 

This component covers North-Eastern States including Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Hill Areas of West Bengal. The component provides for (a) 100% reimbursement of difference between rail and road transportation cost is allowed for the movement of seeds produced outside the State and (b) the actual cost, restricted to maximum limit of Rs. 60 per quintal whichever is less for the movement of seed within the State from State capital / district Headquarters to sale outlets / sale counters.

 

Guidelines

 

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iv) Establishment and Maintenance of Seed Bank:-

 

In order to ensure that seeds are available to the farmers at the time of natural calamities like floods, droughts, etc., a need was felt to establish a Seed Bank to maintain stocks of foundation and certified seeds of different crops/varieties which can be utilized for such contingent requirements.  Under this component, crop-wise targets of seeds are fixed for each participating organization for maintenance in the Seed Bank every year.

 

Guidelines

 

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v) Quality Control Arrangements on Seeds:-

 

This component deals with arrangement to regulate the quality of seeds under the Seeds Act,1966, to strengthen quality control organization like State Seed Certification Agencies, State Seed Testing Laboratories, Central Seed Testing  Laboratory and Central Seed committee apart from imparting training to officials engaged in the seed sector and for enforcing the seed law in order to ensure the production and distribution of quality seeds to protect the interest of the farmers. This component also deals with the strengthening of National Seeds Research and Training Centre at Varanasi (UP) This Centre is accredited as Central Seed Testing Laboratory and acts as referral seed testing laboratory as well as a premier training centre on all aspects of seed technology to different stakeholders.

 

            This component also aims to provide financial support to Central Seeds Testing Laboratory (CSTL) to perform the             following functions: (i) to initiate testing programme in     collaboration with notified State Seed Laboratories, design to         provide uniformity in test results between all recognized seed     labs in India; (ii) to collect data continually on the status of seed    sold in the market and to make this data available to Central Seed Committee; (iii) to coordinate and standardize the seed      testing procedure in the country.

 

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vi) Assistance for Creation/Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities for production and distribution of quality seeds : 

 

 

In order to establish/strengthen infrastructure facilities for production and distribution of quality seeds for the State Seeds Corporations, assistance for creating facilities of seed cleaning, grading, processing, packing and seed storage is provided.  Assistance for strengthening of the existing seed corporations with respect to above mentioned infrastructure facilities is also considered on case to case basis.  The assistance is available in the form of grant for specific purpose of creating infrastructure facilities mentioned above only.

 

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vii) Human Resource Development:-

 

About 85% of the seeds sown in the country are farm-saved seeds where the quality is not assured. This component has been introduced to upgrade the quality of farm-saved seeds.  Dissemination of knowledge and technology transfer of seed production is being done through organizing exhibitions, slide shows, video film shows, field demonstrations, farmers meet, seed day, etc.  Provision of technological know-how to farmers is also encouraged them to take up seed production in a big way. 

           

 

For effective transfer of seed production and seed technology, training programmes for the farmers including women are organized on field to upgrade the quality of farmer saved seeds in association with seed village programme.

 

Apart from training the farmers in the basic seed production technology, the extension machinery and those involved in seed production, seed storage and seed testing and seed certification are also trained regularly with a view to keep them abreast with the latest technology and practices.  Financial Assistance to State Seeds Corporation/ State Seed Certification Agencies are given for imparting training to officials who are engaged in seed development programme, seed quality control and seed law enforcement on a regular basis to achieve the objective of quality seed production and distribution.  This component has been merged with the component ‘Seed Village Programme’ from the halfway of the year 2006-07.

 

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viii) Boosting Seed Export :- 

 

It is proposed to obtain the membership of International Organizations like International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) and to participate in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Schemes  for the development of Indian Seed Industry and promotion of export of seeds: Presently, no Seed Testing Laboratories and Seed Certification Agencies in public sector in the country are accredited with these international agencies. No funds have been released under this component.

 

 

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ix) Use of Bio-technology in Agriculture:-

 

Pursuant to the recommendations of Task Force appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture under the Chairmanship of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan on Application of Biotechnology in Agriculture, this component is being implemented for providing financial assistance for post-released monitoring of transgenic crops through State Agriculture Universities/Department of Agriculture of States/Krishi Vigyan , strengthening of  State Seed Testing Laboratories for quality control of GM seeds, Public Awareness Campaign through SAUs, scientific organizations/institutes , and for  Promotion of tissue culture through SAUs/Specialized Institutions/Seed Corporations.

 

Guidelines

 

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x) Promoting Hybrid Rice Seeds:- 

 

Under this compoment, assistance is provided for production as well as distribution of hybrid rice.  Production subsidy @ Rs.20 per kg. and distribution subsidy @Rs.25/- per kg. are given to various beneficiaries.

 

Guidelines

           

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