Seed park to spring up on 200-acre in Medak

Hyderabad: As part of promoting Telangana State as a “seed bowl” of India, the State government has initiated efforts by setting up a seed park on industry model at Banda Mailaram in Medak district. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is likely to lay foundation for the park in February second week. 

According to officials of the Industries Department, the Chief Minister told the seed company representatives in 2015 to adopt one village in each of the 95 rural Assembly segments to develop seeds. He assured them that the government would extend full support to them in all aspects. 

The officials said the Chief Minister is determined to turn the State into a “seed bowl” of India. “In many countries it is difficult to grow seed. By identifying such countries wherever there is a need, Telangana State may export seed to them.  

A strategy has to be drawn to develop seed production in the State, so that entire country’s need could be met from here,” source said.  The extent of present area under seed growing is 2.90 lakh acres, It can be further expanded, source said. 

Major crops involved in seed production in the State are rice, maize, Bt Cotton, pulses, millets and oilseeds. At present seed production is mainly concentrated and confined to the districts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar and Warangal.

However, the park will be come up on 200 acre. Around 70 companies are expected to invest around Rs 60 crore. Each company will get two to three acres of land. The big players in the seed industry have already shown interest to invest and establishing companies in the park. 

Meanwhile, the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) will develop all required infrastructure for the sector specific parks like approach roads, water supply, industrial power, and common effluent treatment facilities. 

The government is expecting investments around Rs 60 crore. It is expecting to create as many as 1,000 jobs. About Rs 50 crore were earmarked for development of infrastructure.