APSSDC helping farmers to maximise paddy yield

Tirupati: The AP State Seeds Development Corporation Limited (APSSDC known as AP Seeds) unit in Srikalahasti has been providing processed quality seeds to the farmers for over four decades. Though they decided to supply seeds to shareholders only this time due to various reasons, owing to the demand they supplied to all farmers.

During 2018-19, the unit has produced 38,942 quintals of different varieties of paddy seeds to become one of the leading production units in Rayalaseema region. It has produced more than one lakh quintals of paddy seed during the next year.

It has nearly 2,500 farmers as shareholders with 5,000 acres extent. Under general sales, it sells processed seeds to farmers and dealers. Also, it sells seeds to shareholders under the buyback system and buys their crop output again to get it processed to make it available for sales next time. Since, the seeds supplied by the AP Seeds are in good quality and give good yield, farmers prefer getting their requirements from here itself.

Even farmers from other parts of state fulfil their seed requirement from here only. Accordingly, it was equipped with good infrastructure like godowns having one lakh metric tonnes capacity and imported machinery.

This year officials have decided to supply seeds to shareholders only and reduced production to supply them for over 3,000 acres against last year's target of 4,500 acres. This has caused worry to the farmers as they could not get certified seeds to get good yield. In such cases, they need to purchase them from private sellers and end up with huge losses because of spurious seeds and high costs.

However, AP Seeds Manager J Dhana Lakshmi told The Hans India that they have made available more than one lakh quintals of seed this year too. They have already supplied the same quantity of seeds like last year without reducing the extent and there was no problem. Now general sales are continuing which will be available till the December-end.