Vol. 9 No. 1
Production and marketing strategy of seeds for developing countries
Author(s): A. K. NANDI, B. DAS AND M. SABLE
Abstract: The productivity of major food grains had been increased during late sixties in the lower and middle Gangetic Zones due to the development of seed centered technology and it received huge momentum through the exploitation of ground water during mid-eighty onwards. The major thrust of the present study is to analyze the position and possibilities of seed industry in India and its sub-continent. The efficiency of seed and other inputs are now gradually decreasing and thereby production and productivity are also in stagnant or in downing trend. The study revealed that seed replacement rate of field crops in the lower Indo-Gangetic regions are still very low and it is 18-26 per cent and for vegetables extends up to 83-99 percent with a seed cost of maximum 10 percent of total cost except potato. Productivity in farm saved seeds is always lower than replaced seeds almost both for field and vegetables. The private seed production and replication units mainly concentrated their business on high value low volume vegetable crops. The study also examined the potentiality of seed production and distribution of high volume low value crops of food grains in local and regional basis as well as the relative merits and demerits of seed and grain production of paddy based on different levels of input intensity. The participatory system of seed production and distribution in local as well as for regional level would also helpful to the producer to get the seed in time. Under good governance, the private public partnership in seed sector have to be encouraged for the minimization of productivity gap in local basis, till the availability of genetic ally improved new seeds. Protection of farmers\' right has to be maintained in production and business system in developing countries. Under existing technological back up of present varieties, the Indian seed industry may capable to produce high quality seeds due to wide variability of agro ecological situations in the country.
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