Quality seeds critical factor for farmers: Union Minister Kailash Choudhary

Hyderabad: Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kailash Choudhary said on Wednesday that quality seeds are a critical element for the farmers in the countries like India where a majority of people are dependent on agriculture.

Addressing as the chief guest at the inauguration of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), 32nd Congress, here, the Minister said the seed sector in the country is registering faster growth in the world and the country is ready to extend its cooperation in supply of quality seeds to other countries.

He said the country has around 100 agriculture research centres and 60 agriculture universities which were extending varied services to the farmers. The farmers are readily adopting the technologies being provided to them, he said.

He appreciated the initiative of a pro-farmer by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in taking steps to help the ISTA hold its first ever Congress in Asia in Hyderabad.

The Minister also highlighted on ISTA opening up its regional offices for increasing its activities for the cause of extending quality seeds to the farmers across the world.

ISTA president Dr Craig McGrill stressed on the importance of bringing the technological interventions for the production of the quality seeds.

This, he said, needs to be done keeping in view to provide food security to the people across the world. State Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said the State has earned a name for itself for the production of quality seeds.

Following the vision of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, the State is taking all necessary steps to make Telangana as the seed bowl of the world.