A new cooperative society BBSSL has been formed to provide scientifically produced certified seeds to farmers.

What are the objectives and benefits of setting Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL)?

֍BBSSL will have a huge contribution in the field of seed conservation, promotion and research in India in the coming days.

֍The traditional Indian seeds have to be conserved and passed on to the coming generations, so that the production of healthy grains, fruits and vegetables continues and this work will be done by BBSSL.

֍BBSSL’s profit will go directly into the bank accounts of the seed producing farmers.

֍ Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited will help in giving impetus to the rural economy of the country as well as making the country self-reliant in seed production and increasing share in the global market of seeds, the small farmers, women and youth will be its biggest beneficiaries.

֍BBSSL will also connect Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) with seed production like all other types of cooperative societies including agriculture, horticulture, dairy, fisheries. Through PACS, every farmer will be able to produce seeds in his field, the seeds will also be certified and after branding, BBSSL will contribute in delivering these seed not only to the entire country but also to the whole world.

֍This will help in making India a big partner in the global seed market.

Who are the promoters of BBSSL?

On January 11, 2023, the Union Cabinet had approved the formation of Indian Seed Cooperative Society Limited. The BBSSL was registered on January 25, 2023.

The three major cooperative societies of the country – Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and two major statutory bodies of the Government of India – National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) are the promoters of the BBSSL.

What is the present status of seed sector in India?

֍The Federation of the Seed Industry of India (FSII) claims that the Indian seed industry is worth Rs 18,000 crore and is constantly growing. Looking at the country’s well-developed seed industry and expertise in the sector, it has the potential to become a global hub.

֍Currently, seed export by India is less than Rs 1,000 crore per annum and the annual global seed trade is $14 billion . Therefore, India has the potential to capture a 10 per cent share, which is $1.4 billion by 2028, as per the FSII data.

֍After the United States (27%), China (20%), France (8%), and Brazil (8%), Indian seed sector is now the world’s fifth largest seed market, accounting for 4.4% of global seed market

֍However India’s share in the world seed export is only 0.6 per cent.

֍The share of the public sector in seed production in the country reduced from 42.72 per cent in 2017-18 to 35.54 per cent in 2020-21, while the share of the private sector grew from 57.28 per cent to 64.46 per cent during the same period, highlighting the rising role of private companies in India’s seed sector.

֍Today, the requirement of seeds in India itself is about 465 lakh quintals, out of which 165 lakh quintals are produced through the government system and the production through cooperatives is less than 1 per cent.

What are the key challenges to seed sector in India?

Short shelf life of the seed: Certified seeds are only good for one season and must be revalidated before being used in the following season. The retailers do not have the necessary arrangements to store the seeds for an entire year.

Unpredictability of the demand: Due to the unpredictability of nature, changes in commodity prices, and other factors, it is extremely difficult for dealers (private or cooperative) to accurately predict demand for certified seeds.

Lack of effective monitoring mechanism: At the point of sale, there is no effective monitoring system in place to control seed quality. Once the product is sold, the seed producing, and marketing agencies have no control over their production.

Lack of infrastructure: Farmers’ access to seeds at the right time continues to be a challenge. Poor infrastructure in remote villages, a lack of purchasing power at the time of sowing, and the uncertainty of rainfall, on which sowing is heavily reliant, exacerbate the problem.

What are the key recommendations to strengthen the seed sector in India?

֍Future of agricultural production will largely depend upon development of improved varieties/ hybrids of various crops, supported by efficient, cost-effective seed production technologies.

֍Diversification of areas for seed production and development of appropriate seed production technology needs to be focused for expansion of seed production system in the country.

֍Considerable efforts should be made to study the effect of climate change on seed production of various crops to develop suitable crop management technologies and mitigate the adverse effects.

֍Since seed is starting point of production systems, organic seed (production technology, field and seed standards) is inevitable for location specific, producer community based organic agriculture.

֍GPS/GIS applications includes guidance of equipment , micro irrigation facilities, fertilizer/ pesticides applicators and tillage implement; mapping of pests and diseases to reduce excess overlaps and skips and enable towards precision in seed production

֍Different seed testing protocols currently used in India need to be upgraded on the lines of international standards of seed testing such as ISTA, AOSA and OECD for better seed quality assurance and easy access to international seed trade.

֍Use of biochemical and molecular markers including electrophoresis of proteins, isoenzymes and DNA fingerprinting involving first and second-generation markers for establishing the distinctiveness of varieties may supplement traditional genetic purity testing.