A research study on creation of seed hubs for increasing indigenous production of pulses in India

KVK, Palem, Nagarkurnool district Telangana state was allotted with the seed hub project entitled with Creation of seed hubs for increasing indigenous production of pulses in India. With the project buy back policy KVK was procured 284 quintals of Greengram (WGG 42), 571 quintals of Redgram (PRG 176), 234 quintals of Blackgram (PU 31) and 2.2 quintals of Horsegram (CHRG 19) from the farmers and INR 13, 49,989 was earned by the 51 farmers as additional income from seed production. Total 1,091 quintals of pulses seed was procured by KVK, Palem, during 2016 to 2020.  (4years).Seed production was implemented on farmers’ fields across different villages of Nagarkurnool and Jogulamba Gadwal districts based on farmers experience in pulse seed production through bye back agreement. These quality seeds covered through our intervention nearly 7,690 hectares, contributing 16 to 18 per cent of total cropped area under cultivation of pulses in Nagarkurnool district. The total gross amount realized from pulses seed production programme in the four years (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20) was INR 1.24 crores. The net profit to KVK, Palem, is INR 41, 92,086. The profit generated out of seed sale has been utilized by Seed-Hub for development of additional facilities/workforce as needed for scaling quality seed production of pulses.  It is noteworthy that this programme generated employment opportunities for rural youth, farm workers and farm women as seed production is a skill oriented work. Regular and timely management practices reduce additional expenditure while producing seeds, so that no additional labour and special input costs were incurred. Socio-economic status of the farmers has improved due to generation of additional income through seed production as compared to general cultivation.