ISTA Congress will help Telangana go global: Minister

Hyderabad: The International Seed Testing Association Congress-2019 (ISTA Congress-2019) will open new chapter for the public and private seed companies and help Telangana State go global.

Disclosing this while addressing media here on Wednesday, State Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said the three-day international convention is taking place for the first time in Asia, for which, Hyderabad is the host.

Giving details of the takeaways expected from the Congress, he said that the State is known for its climatic conditions in which seeds produced here have the highest potential of germination when sown in any other climatic zones across the world.

"It is for this reason that the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics ICRISAT) was established four decades ago in Telangana," he added. The Minister said over 400 foreign and 300 delegates from India would take part in the Congress. In all, over 700 delegates from 80 countries would take part in the Congress, and focus on multidimensional aspects of the seed sector.

"They include seed research and extension, quality standards of the seeds, research and development taking place in the production of the seeds. Policymakers, scientists, research scholars, international seed organisations related to the seeds, food and agriculture would take part in various sessions being organised as part of the Congress.

Similarly, from India, the Agricultural Research Council, agricultural universities from different universities within the country, Agricultural Ministers or secretaries of different States in the country would also take part in the event, the Minister said.

That apart, seed growing farmers will also participate in the Congress to take stock of the best practices and to improve their skills in the seed cultivation and production, he said. Giving specific advantages for Telangana State, Niranjan Reddy said that Hyderabad has already made a mark in the seed production in the country.

The Congress will provide a platform for the exchange activities paving way for the private and public sector seed companies of Hyderabad and those from within the country to explore to go global to set up their units in other countries.

Similarly, multinational companies from abroad producing seeds of international standards can come and set up their units in the State. In turn, it would help in creating employment in Telangana, he said.

He said Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao will inaugurate the opening ceremony of the ISTA Congress -2019, in which, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has given consent to attend. State Governor E S L Narasimhan will be the chief guest for the closing ceremony of the Congress, he said.