New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) Ahead of sowing of kharif crops, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said farmers should get quality seeds on time and state governments should strictly curb sale of fake seeds.

Addressing a national webinar, Tomar said the state governments, along with the Centre, should prepare a roadmap for the next 10-15 years for building a seed chain.

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"It should be ensured that the farmers get timely supply of good quality seeds. State governments should strictly curb black marketing and those selling fake seeds," an official statement quoted Tomar saying in the webinar.

If the seed is good, then the future is good. Availability of good quality seeds for agriculture increases production, productivity and income of farmers, he said.

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The minister further said that the entire seed chain should be organised so that farmers do not face any problem. There is a need to address shortage of quality seeds supply in some crops and stress on better planning.

The cooperation of the state governments is also necessary for seed traceability. The price difference between private and government agencies should be bridged, he said.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje said the seeds developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research should reach the farmers at the grassroots level.

Along with this, states should work in a planned manner on all aspects related to agriculture department at the district level, so that farmers do not face any problem. she added.

Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said arrangements should be made to provide quality seeds to the farmers at the Panchayat level, while farmers should also be aware about quality testing of seeds.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)