Ensuring food security by good seed governance: A case study from Jharkhand

Abstract

Agriculturally, the state of Jharkhand belongs to the category of the complex, diverse, and risk-prone (CDR) region and home to the relatively high level of resource-poor marginal and small farmers (M&SFs). Moreover, being a rainfed state, the delayed onset and early withdrawal of monsoon with asymmetrical distribution, increased incidence of droughts including terminal ones, unseasonal heavy rainfalls, and extreme temperatures increased vulnerability, variability in yield, and yield gaps affecting the food and nutritional security seriously. In addition to the poor adoption and diffusion of new technologies, farmers apply comparatively low external inputs, and therefore, the production and productivity remained low, and unsustainability is the hallmark of the Jharkhand agriculture. To increase productivity, ensuring timely supply of quality seed of suitable varieties in adequate quantity at affordable price to farmers is of critical importance. In the state, both seed replacement rates (SRRs) and varietal replacement rates (VRRs) are very poor, thus affecting productivity performance. At national level, the formal seed sector comprising both the public sector and private seed industry is advanced and ranked fifth globally, but at regional level, it varies particularly in low-input marginal environments like states in the eastern region of the country, and Jharkhand typically represents this category. The infrastructure related to seed production, processing, storage, and distribution is in a nascent stage in the state and always depends on the external agencies. With the objective to increase both SRR and VRR in the state, the production of quality seed of the adopted as well as newly released varieties was taken up at massive scale using participatory approach during 2016-2019. In this chapter, the practical experience and difficulties encountered have been presented. However, the country is advanced in formulating various legislations, policies, and welldesigned seed regulatory framework in the light of international instruments, agreements, conventions, and other laws for fostering growth of the domestic seed industry and well-being of the Indian farmers. However, at state level, the implementation and execution of the regulatory measures to ensure the timely availability of quality seed of suitable varieties at affordable price at local level requires good governance. In the state, the poor seed governance has converted into poor SRR and VRR in various cereal, coarse cereal, pulses, and oilseed crops including contingent crops of local importance. The whole process also culminated in farmers and seed growers’ lost confidence. The major qualitative impact of this failed participatory seed production (PSP) program is reflected by less area coverage, low production, and poor yield virtually among all cereals, pulses, and oilseed crops. Based upon the experiences gained so far, it is learnt that good seed governance along with institutional support is needed at every step of seed production, certification, procurement, processing, storage, and timely distribution to improve seed production and supply chain effectively and efficiently. Without good seed governance, both seed and food security would likely be jeopardized.