Govt to distribute 20L mini-seed kits

New Delhi: The government on Thursday said it will distribute over 20 lakh mini-kits of seeds worth Rs 82.01 crore as part of a strategy to boost pulses production in the kharif season of the 2021-22 crop year (July-June).

Sowing in the kharif (summer) season begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from June, which the Met Department has forecast to be normal this year. Tur, moong and urad are the key pulses grown during the kharif season.

In a statement, the Agriculture Ministry said a detailed plan has been chalked out in consultation with the state governments for both area expansion and productivity improvement of tur, moong and urad.

"Under the strategy, utilising all the high yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds that are available either with the Central Seed Agencies or in the states will be distributed free of cost to increase area through inter-cropping and sole crop," the ministry said.

For the coming Kharif 2021, it is proposed to distribute 20,27,318 (almost 10 times more seed mini kits than 2020-21) amounting to Rs 82.01 crores, it said.

The total cost for these mini-kits will be borne by the central government to boost the production and productivity of tur, moong

and urad. Further, these mini-kits used for inter-cropping and urad sole crop will cover an area of 4.05 lakh hectare in the Kharif 2021 season.

In addition to this, the usual programme of inter-cropping and area expansion by the states will continue on a sharing basis between the Centre and state, it said. The mini kits will be supplied by the central agencies/ state agencies to the destination at the district level approved under the strategy by June 15, the statement added.