Province 1 to run rice seed production, quality control system project

KATHMANDU: A project will be implemented in Province 1 to strengthen rice seed production, supply and quality control system. The project will be implemented mainly in Jhapa, Morang, Sunasari and Udayapur districts. The purpose of the project is “to strengthen rice seed production, supply and quality control system” to improve the productivity of rice by means of dissemination of quality improved seeds in Province 1 and to Strengthen the implementation of the rice seed production, supply and quality control system in Nepal. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a 'Record of Discussions' with the Government of Nepal for the technical cooperation project, “Strengthening Seed Production, Supply and Quality Control System Project” in this connection. The implementation period of the project is for five years (2022 March to 2027 March) and the Executing agency is Seed Quality Control Center (SQCC), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD), Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), and Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoLMAC) of Province 1, JICA stated in a press release. Rice is the fundamental crop in Nepal. Everyone consumes it, and farmers gain income out of it. In order to make crops tasty, nutritious, and productive, the most important factor remains the quality of rice seeds. Even though rice farming contributes around 15% of the National GDP of Nepal, there is still a possibility to increase its yield therefore usage of improved Seed and increasing the replacement rate of seed are the key. According to the statistics, the seed replacement rate of rice in Nepal is around 20% now, therefore, the government has the strategy to raise it to 25%.  And it is estimated that the use of improved seeds with good quality will increase its yield by 15%. However, there are several processes before farmers can use the improved seeds with good quality, it is necessary to improve the quality of the system and capacity to produce the quality seed in Nepal. In this context, the government has requested JICA for holistic support for improving seed production. The Project is expected to contribute to the sustainable social and economic development of Nepal during and after the implementation period of the project.

Source: RSS

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