State government to set up seed hub in Jalna

AURANGABAD: The state on Friday announced its decision to set up a Rs 110-crore seed hub project in the city to boost the seed industry in Jalna.
Babanrao Lonikar, the state water supply and sanitation minister and four-term MLA from the Partur assembly constituency in Jalna, made the announcement. He said that the initiative would place the rapidly flourishing industry on the global map.
The new facility would see active participation from farmers, companies engaged in seed manufacturing and the state government.The required project costs will be raised through funds from the Union and state governments and through private investors as well. The facility will ensure farm ponds, shade nets, drip irrigation facilities, processing units and other basic infrastructure for the farmers.
Apart from this, the government will also provide modern facilities like state of the art laboratories and research facilities. Provisions to improve packaging and storage facilities for the seeds will also be made in the proposed hub.
Lonikar said that the industry has great potential. "Many nationally as well as internationally renowned seed manufacturers are based in Jalna. Apart from this, a large number of farmers are also associated with the industry. They are doing quite well and are immensely contributing to the region's economy. Looking at the projects, the state now plans on developing various facilities to help the manufacturers and farmers," he said.
The MLA added that India is the sixth largest producer of seeds in the world and records an average Rs 15,000 crore turnover each year. "The state contributes around a third of the total turnover of the country in the sector, and Jalna has a major share in this. It witnesses an average annual turnover of around Rs 3,000 crore," Lonikar said.
He added that there are over 20,000 farmers engaged in seed production, of which 10,000 farmers are already using shade nets to produce high quality seeds.