Faced with a shortage of certified seeds of some oilseeds, pulses and coarse cereal crops in the current kharif sowing season, the Centre has allowed the states to distribute 'truthfully labelled' seeds to cover the gap. | |
| The assistance available for the certified seeds under the integrated development scheme for oilseeds, pulses, oilpalm and maize would be extended to these seeds as well. |
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| The overall availability of crop seeds for the kharif 2004 is comfortable, maintains a statement issued by the agriculture ministry. |
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| However, some shortage of seeds of groundnut and arhar has been reported by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. This is attributed to damage to seed crops. |
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| In the country, the requirement of groundnut seed has been assessed at 5.86 lakh quintals, against the availability of 5.20 lakh quintals. Gujarat and Karnataka governments have proposed to meet this shortage by organising additional seed production in the summer season. |
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| The supplies are also proposed to be supplemented by seed procurement from farmers who had used certified seeds last year. |
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| The shortage of groundnut seed in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh is being met through seed minikits to be provided by the National Seeds Corporation and the State Farms Corporation of India. |
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| In the case of arhar, the total requirement is estimated at 0.88 lakh quintals, against the availability of 0.81 lakh quintals. |
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