NEW DELHI (Commodity Online): In order to increase seed production, the Agriculture Ministry has today signed two separate MoUs with National Seeds Corporation Limited (NSC) and State Farms Corporation of India Ltd (SFCI) for the financial year 2010-11.

The thrust in the MoU with NSC is on key parameters of Quality Assurance, Customer Satisfaction, redressal of farmers’ grievance/complaints, environmental up-gradation and collaborative R&D activities for developing new hybrids/varieties. Therefore, the new parameters have been assigned higher weightage in the MoU.

NSC will share the responsibility of sustainable development by financing creation of rain water harvesting structure in NSC’s seed growers’ areas, tree plantation and free distribution of solar lanterns.

It expands its role under corporate social responsibilities by earmarking 2% of the post tax profit as against 1.15% of the previous year. The activities to be undertaken include prison reforms programme in jail premises by facilitating cultivation of vegetables, medicinal plants and fruits, de-addiction programme, blood donation camps and health awareness campaigns as well as free distribution of hand and foot sprayers.



The corporation will work to achieve higher financial and physical targets in 2010-11 over the previous financial year. Gross sale of seeds has been fixed at Rs.519 crores for the year 2010-11 against Rs.277 crores of last year and the gross margin at Rs.59.49 crores against Rs.42.73 crores of the previous year. In addition, the corporation has been given a target for production of 19 lakh quintals of certified seeds against 17.00 lakh quintals in 2009-10.

The MoU with SFCI sets higher targets for the financial year 2010-11 including production of 6.00 lakh quintals of certified seeds , against 5.75 lakh quintals target of the previous year; turnover at Rs.285 crores with a jump of almost Rs.63.00 crores over the last financial year and profit after tax of Rs.19.54 crores compared to Rs.11.73 crores of the previous year.

Greatly benefited by the favorable location of its farm lands, SFCI produces various categories of seeds namely Test Stock, Breeder and Certified seeds.

Another significance of this year’s MoU is the emphasis on higher production of oil seeds, pulses and non-cereals pegged at 65% of the total seed productivity. Several new dimensions have been added that include thrust on Research and Development whereby new technology would be adopted in the mechanization of farms; pilot testing Jojoba plantation and also planting of olive trees in the desert area.

Sustainable Development plans include wasteland development for 125 hectares and plantation of 60,000 trees on its various farms for afforestation. Under the head corporate social responsibility, SFCI intends to undertake maintenance of village roads for a total stretch of 1.5 km. near to its farm at Sardargarh. It also intends to supply drinking water to village surrounding Jetsar farm in Rajasthan.

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