Q: In the context of food and nutritional security of India, enhancing the ‘Seed Replacement Rates’ of various crops helps in achieving the food production targets of the future. But what is/are the constraint/ constraints in its wider / greater implementation?
a) There is no National Seeds Policy in place.
b) There is no participation of private sector seed companies in the supply of quality seeds of vegetables and planting materials of horticultural crops.
c) There is a demand-supply gap regarding quality seeds in case of low value and high volume crops.
The correct answer is 3 only.
⦁ We have a National Seed policy made in 2002. Hence, Statement 1 is not correct.
⦁ The private sector produces high-priced seeds but in lower volume. It supplies nearly the entire hybrid seeds required for vegetables. Hence, Statement 2 is not correct.
⦁ The private sector seed companies supply quality seeds of vegetables but in a small volume.
⦁ There is a demand-supply gap recording quality of seeds in case of low value and high volume crops such as wheat and rice.
⦁ Farmers prefer to use their own preserve seeds due to the high demand and supply gap. Hence statement 3 is correct.
⦁ The seed replacement rate is a measure of how much of the total cropped area was sown with certified seeds in comparison to farm-saved seeds.
⦁ Seed replacement rate denotes better utilization of certified quality seeds which results in better productivity.
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