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SEED CERTIFICATION

DEPARTMENT OF SEED CERTIFICATION AND ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

INTRODUCTION:

To provide the good quality seeds to the farming community the seed Inspection Wing is functioning under the leadership of Deputy Director of Seed Inspection at District level. The Deputy Director of Seed Inspection Vellore is functioning as an Enforcement wing under the Department of Seed Certification and Organic Certification.

OBJECTIVE:

  • Issuing Licence to the Seed Dealers
  • Periodical inspections to the Seed selling points to ensure the quality of seeds
  • Drawing Official seed samples to determine the quality standards
  • Providing training assistance to the Seed Dealers
  • Motivating the Seed Dealers to send the service samples of seeds and get analysed
  • Enforcing Seed Legislation Procedures on Sub Standard seeds

JURISDICTION:

The Entire Vellore and Thiruvannamalai Districts with Headquarters at Vellore.

SEED INSPECTORS HEADQUARTERS:

VELLORE DISTRICT: Vellore, Gudiyatham
Thiruvannamalai District: Thiruvannamalai, Arni

The Department of Seed Certification offers the following services to farmers.

  • Seed Certification
  • Seed Inspection
  • Seed Testing
  • Imparting Trainings
  • Organic Certification

SEED CERTIFICATION :

Good quality seeds are produced by the Seed producers of Government and Private sectors with the Supervision of Officials of Department of Seed Certification.

Seeds farms are raised in farmer’s holdings or in government farms by using breeder seeds or foundation seeds and registered with Assistant Director of Seed Certification of concerned district. The seed farms so registered are inspected at different critical stages by seed certification officers and the seed farms thus qualified are allowed to harvest and the seeds are cleaned, processed. Seed samples are taken from the processed seed lots and tested for germination, physical purity, other distinct varieties and moisture content. The seed lots thus qualified in seed testing are certified by the seed certification department and tags are provided for the selected seed lots.

THE ADVANTAGES OF CERTIFIED SEEDS :

  • Higher germination
  • Optimum Moisture content
  • Enough Physical purity
  • Least other distinct varieties
  • Lack of pest and disease attack

SEED INSPECTION :

Seed Inspection wing of department of seed certification enforces Seeds Act 1966, Seed (Control) order 1983 and Environmental (Protection) Act 1986. The licence is awarded to buy, stock, exhibit and sale the seeds according to the provisions granted in the acts. The seed inspectors are empowered to draw the seed samples from the seed licence holders and the samples are sent to seed testing laboratories to confirm the standards. The seed lots which are not upto the standards are banned to sell and the persons responsible are prosecuted as per seed act. Thus the interest of the farmers is protected from the loss of money, time, labour by supplying good quality seeds.

SEED TESTING :

The notified seed testing laboratories are functioning to check and confirm the seed standards for germination, Moisture, Purity, Other Distinct varieties, pest and disease incidences etc.,

The types of seed samples are certification samples, Official Samples and service samples. The maximum time limit for declaring results is thirty days, somehow the time limit for each crop differs.

TRAININGS :

Trainings on seed certification, Seed Act enforcement, seed testing and organic certification are imparted to seed growers, seed producers and staff of Seed certification and Agriculture departments periodically. The trainings are helpful to enrich the knowledge of seed production techniques, seed standards, provisions of seed acts thereby keeping the quality of seeds at all levels.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION :

Government of Tamilnadu created a separate department of Organic Certification in the month of May 2007 by additionally designating Department of Seed certification as Department of Seed Certification and Organic Certification for the purpose of carrying out Inspection and Certification of Organic Production System in the state in accordance with National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) norms.

STEPS IN ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

  • Registration procedure
  • Review of Application
  • Scheduling of Inspection
  • Verification during Inspection
  • Group Certification Standards
  • Granting of Certificate