Annapurna Scheme: Seed Production Programme

The Rural Agricultural Extension Officer will conduct the primary selection of small and marginal Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe farmers who are willing to participate in the Seed Production Programme. The officer must select up to 1.5 times …

Offline The Rural Agricultural Extension Officer will conduct the primary selection of small and marginal Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe farmers who are willing to participate in the Seed Production Programme. The officer must select up to 1.5 times the physical target number of beneficiaries and prepare a list. The Rural Agricultural Extension Officer will submit the list of selected beneficiaries to the Senior Agricultural Development Officer or the Farm Superintendent. The Senior Agricultural Development Officer or Farm Superintendent will examine the received list and obtain the necessary approval from the Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer. The Director of Agriculture will issue directions for various entities, including Government Agricultural Farms, State Seed Corporation, National Seed Corporation, State Farm Corporation of India, and Agricultural Universities, to supply Foundation/Certified Grade I seeds directly to the Deputy Director of Agriculture. The Deputy Director of Agriculture will then arrange for the supply of seeds to the Farm Superintendent. The Farm Superintendent will distribute the Foundation/Certified Grade I seeds to the selected farmers based on the Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer's approval. The farmer must sow the seed within the prescribed area, which should be a minimum of 0.2 hectares (1/2 acre) up to a maximum of 1 hectare. Farmers must adopt the complete package of agricultural practices for higher production and remove unwanted plants to maintain seed purity. The Rural Agricultural Extension Officer must submit the registration application form to the Farm Superintendent within 20 days of sowing or before the final date fixed by the government. It is mandatory for the Farm Superintendent to present this application to the Seed Certification Agency within the stipulated time frame. The Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer will draw the necessary amount (application fee, registration fee, inspection fee, and sample fee) from the scheme budget. The Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer must ensure that this amount is remitted to the Seed Certification Agency before the prescribed deadline. Following successful field-level certification, the produced raw seed will be procured at fixed rates by the Seed Production Committee or the Farm Superintendent. The Farm Superintendent must arrange for the grading, processing, stocking, and packing of the raw seed under the supervision of the Seed Certification Agency, adhering to the schedule fixed by the government. The Deputy Director of Agriculture will cover the expenditure for grading, processing, stocking, and packing of the raw seeds from the scheme budget. The remaining amount, after deducting the processing expenses from the fixed price of the supplied seed, must be deposited by challan into the government treasury under the payment head for the Government Agricultural Farm. Selection of beneficiaries must be completed by May 25 for Kharif and August 31 for Rabi/Summer. Seed availability at the Farm/Cooperative Society/Lamps/Development Block must be completed by June 10 for Kharif and September 30 for Rabi/Summer. Seed supply to farmers must be completed by June 15 for Kharif and October 10 for Rabi/Summer. Technical advice, guidance, and supervision regarding the operation of the program will be provided by the Agriculture Department.