The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : State selected for Seed Valley project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 08, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

State selected for Seed Valley project

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh will be developed into the "Seed Valley" of the country for production and supply of quality seed of crops to all other States.

The Centre has selected the State for the purpose since its climate is found suitable to produce seed of any crop. As part of the project, an "Agro Economic Zone" will be created with various facilities. Seed of various crops will be produced and processing plants set up. Seed produced here will also be exported.

Link-up benefits

Announcing this at a press conference here on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy said the State was likely to get several link-up benefits besides financial support for research & development. The State Government had been asked to submit a report on how it would go about the project, he added.

Mr Reddy also disclosed that the Mahyco Monsanto had climbed down following the MRTP case filed by the State against the high price charged by it for Bt cotton.

He said it had offered to reduce the price by Rs 350 for a 450-gram pack of seed which was sold last year for Rs 1,850.

They, however, said the offer was not "agreeable to the Government" but did not indicate the further reduction expected by the government. Negotiations were on with the company on compensation payable by it for failure of the seeds supplied in some cases.

Kharif strategy

Earlier, the Minister addressed seed suppliers alerting them about likelihood of farmers advancing the kharif operations this year in view of the better availability of water in reservoirs and improved groundwater situation due to which borewells became live at many places.

They said the extent under kharif would touch 88 lakh hectares this year with nearly 10 lakh ha being sown additionally as projects under Jalayagnam were expected to give partial irrigation benefit by July-end.

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