TIRUCHY: In a measure to ease the burden on farmers from Tiruchy, Ariyalur and Perambalur, the state government would be constructing an integrated seed certification center at Puthur in Tiruchy at a cost of Rs 2.14 crore. Sources said tenders for the center have been floated and it is likely to be launched this year itself.
Though the project was announced in the 2021 Agriculture Budget, delay in fund allotment held it up for this while; the government recently cleared the funds. Meanwhile, farmers of the three districts heaved a sigh of relief as they would soon be spared of the long-distance travel to conduct seed testing, licensing and certification. Officials said the integrated center would bring all the requirements under one roof, adding that the Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board and the National Agriculture Development Programme would be sharing the project cost.
“The major objective of the centre would be to facilitate seed quality assessment. It would benefit the organic farmers in the central region. Training sessions would also be carried out,” a senior official said.
Govindaraj, the Deputy Director of Seed Inspection, said farmers from the three districts could visit the upcoming center for licence clearance. “The center would facilitate testing of all the seeds issued by private firms.”
Welcoming the move, farmers expressed distress over their current plight which revolves around leaping from one office to another for seed assessment and certification.