Sowing co-operation between the Netherlands and India in seed sector
The Netherlands has a keen interest in supporting the rapid developments in Indian horticulture; at the recent discussion of the budget in parliament Indian agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced investments of 2 billion Euros in the sector in the upcoming five years. For years the Netherlands and India cooperate in Centers of Excellence on promoting modern technology (protected cultivation) for increasing production and water efficiency in horticulture sector, bringing diversification in production of different potato varieties and enabling exchange of knowledge and technology.
The importance of high-quality seeds for these developments goes without questioning. Following a first Round Table with Dutch seed producers present in India organized last year by the Netherlands Embassy, SeedNL launched a study into the Indian landscape, mapping challenges and opportunities for international seed trade in India. Earlier this year the first results of this study were presented to the Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. The concise report gives among others recommendations on regulatory issues, transparency and traceability, testing and laboratory capacity. SeedNL and the Embassy will continue to work on the presented recommendations.
Please see the concise report below.