The North News
Chandigarh, March 12
Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian has ordered the development of an online portal to track and trace paddy seed transactions, aiming to eliminate the sale of uncertified seeds. The portal, set to be operational within a month, will require registered seed producers to log all purchases, sales, and quantities, ensuring transparency in the seed supply chain.
Khudian, along with Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture Anurag Verma and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Vice-Chancellor Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, held a high-level meeting with sheller owners and officials from the Agriculture and Food & Civil Supplies departments on Wednesday. He stressed that no one would be allowed to exploit farmers by selling substandard seeds, which lead to lower yields and financial losses. Uncertified seeds often lack genetic vigour and disease resistance, impacting both farmers and the state’s rice milling industry.
“This initiative underscores our commitment to protecting farmers and ensuring high-quality agricultural output in Punjab,” Khudian said, directing officials to ensure PAU-recommended paddy seeds are available and that strict monitoring of the seed supply chain is enforced.
The minister emphasised that the online portal would create a more transparent and accountable system, improving crop yields, boosting productivity, and enhancing consumer confidence in Punjab’s rice quality.
The meeting was attended by Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Varinder Kumar Sharma, Special Secretary Agriculture Baldeep Kaur, Director Agriculture Jaswant Singh, and other senior officials.
PAU-recommended paddy seed varieties
Farmers have been urged to purchase PAU-recommended paddy seed varieties and retain receipts for their purchases. The 11 recommended varieties include PR 131, PR 130, PR 129, PR 128, HKR 47, PR 127, PR 126, PR 122, PR 121, PR 114, and PR 113.
