Vegetable seed industry – Retrospect and prospects

Abstract

The vegetable seed industry annual market value by late eighties was around `400 crore of which vegetable seeds was about `40 crore. The Government realized that the seed act needs change to allow Indian farmers to have access to seeds of highest quality and genetics from the developed world. This brought in the Open General License Act in 1989 that allowed import of seeds from abroad for testing and sale in India and allowed full research and development within private sector- recognized by DSIR. The changes this act brought about in vegetable seed sector and how it has impacted our farmer’s productivity as well as total vegetable production will be detailed below under various crops where most research was focussed.