African seed body team visits TG seed testing lab

HYDERABAD

A delegation of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) led by its secretary general Yacouba Diallo visited the seed testing laboratory – Telangana International Seed Testing Authority – at Rajendranagar here, recognised by the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), on Saturday.

The team comprising 10 other members belonging to the seed sector in the African continent were in Hyderabad to attend the three-day India-Africa Seed Summit from September 11. Director of the Telangana State Seed and Organic Certification Authority K. Keshavulu explained to the visiting team about the seed testing machinery, equipment and testing methods in the laboratory.

Complimenting the State government for developing an ISTA-recognised seed testing laboratory required for export of seed to other countries, Mr. Diallo said there was a need to have such laboratories in the African countries too. The seed certification authority of Telangana has bagged the summit award in seed testing and certification at the three-day event.

Mr. Keshavulu said Telangana was the first State in the country to have established an online seed certification and seed traceability systems. The ISTA-recognised laboratory had enabled scale-up seed exports from the country by certifying the seed for standards.

He explained that Telangana was supplying about 22 lakh quintals (2.2 lakh tonnes) of quality seed to farmers in Telangana and 10 other States. The conducive atmosphere in Telangana would make it most suitable place for quality seed production and as a result 500 seed companies were operating in the State and involving 3.5 lakh farmers in seed production.

They were producing about 90 lakh quintals (9 lakh tonnes) seed every year and providing employment to 3 lakh persons, Mr. Keshavulu said.