Context:
Uttar Pradesh is set to establish five state-of-the-art seed parks, with one planned in each of the state’s five agro-economic zones.
More On News:
- The state Cabinet has approved a proposal to establish the seed parks, which will be named after former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh in recognition of his contributions to agriculture.
- The first seed park will be developed in the Attari area of Lucknow with an investment of ₹266 crore across 130 acres.
- It will feature advanced facilities for seed production, processing, storage, speed breeding, and hybrid research.
- The additional parks planned for western UP, the Terai region, the central zone, and Bundelkhand.
- These parks would be established through a public-private partnership model, with land leased to seed companies for a period of 30 years.
- UP, one of the largest agricultural states, has 165 lakh hectares of cultivable land, with farming spanning nearly 270 lakh hectares when both crops are considered.
- To meet this demand, 70 lakh quintals (or seven lakh metric tonnes) of seeds are needed.
- However, the state is currently able to produce only around 46 lakh quintals, with the rest sourced from neighboring states.
- To boost seed production within UP and ensure the certification of quality seeds, approval has been granted for the development of seed parks in the state.
- UP has nine agricultural climatic zones, and seed parks will be developed in five of these regions.
- The goal is to reduce dependence on other states and to enable the export of seeds to other regions.
- Uttar Pradesh does not currently produce hybrid seeds, and of the nearly Rs 7,000 crore seed industry, about Rs 3,500 crore is directed to other states.
- Therefore, the aim is to tap into this market and promote seed production within the state.
