Union Minister Amit Shah emphasized the creation of a comprehensive database for sweet seeds of fruits, vegetables, and food grains during a high-level meeting of the Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) on Tuesday.
Shah engaged with key stakeholders to discuss BBSSL’s commitment to conserving and promoting traditional seeds. The meeting included office bearers of the national cooperative body, which aims to conserve traditional seeds and develop certified ones.
Shah directed the formulation of an action plan for cataloguing sweet seeds and stressed the need for BBSSL to facilitate the organic production of traditional seeds and ensure their widespread market availability.
The meeting was attended by Ministry’s Secretary Ashish Bhutani and IFFCO Marketing Director, who also serves as BBSSL Chairman, along with other key officials. BBSSL is supported by IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED, NDDB and the NCDC.
In an effort to enhance seed research and production, BBSSL has signed agreements with leading agricultural research institutions, including ICAR-Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR), ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR), G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, and IARI’s Zonal Technology Management Unit.
Discussions are ongoing with organizations such as ICRISAT, IRRI, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), and Thailand-based Suwan Farm and Weerachai Seeds to develop hybrid varieties suited to Indian agricultural conditions.
Currently, less than 50% of Indian farmers use quality seeds, with the majority relying on farm-saved seeds. To address this, BBSSL plans to oversee the production, testing, certification, procurement, processing, storage, branding, and distribution of foundation and certified seeds through cooperative networks.
Breeder seeds will be sourced from public-sector research bodies and international institutes like ICRISAT, IRRI, and CIMMYT. The organization also seeks to leverage government schemes to ensure high-quality seeds are available under the ‘Bharat Beej’ brand through multiple marketing channels.
BBSSL has an initial paid-up capital of Rs. 250 crore, with each of the five promoters contributing Rs. 50 crore. The authorized share capital stands at Rs. 500 crore. BBSSL aims to streamline the production, procurement, and distribution of quality seeds under a single brand, improve crop yields, preserve indigenous seeds, and promote agricultural sustainability.
By increasing domestic seed production, BBSSL intends to reduce dependence on imports, boost rural incomes, and support India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat.
So far, 14,816 cooperatives have joined BBSSL. In Rabi 2023-24, 11,594 quintals of foundation seed were produced. For Kharif 2024, 23 varieties of seven crops have been sown in 10 states across 457 acres involving 40 farmers. BBSSL has distributed 38,126 quintals of seeds across various crop varieties, strengthening India’s agricultural landscape.
