CAG Reveals Urgent Seed Shortfall in Assam Seeds Corporation: Infrastructure Gaps Exposed
Guwahati, Nov 26: The Assam Seeds Corporation Limited has faced significant challenges, primarily due to inadequate irrigation and drainage facilities, resulting in its seed production meeting only 0.28% of the Agriculture Department’s requirements from 2018-19 to 2023-24. A recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) highlighted that during this period, the corporation supplied 1.59 lakh metric tons (MT) of seeds, with only 437.54 MT coming from its own production. The remaining seeds were sourced from other providers, indicating the company’s inability to realize its market potential through increased seed production from both its operations and registered growers.
The land availability for seed production was significant, with a total cultivable area of 250.50 hectares each year between 2018 and 2024. However, unutilized land ranged from 39 hectares (15.57%) to as much as 124.50 hectares (49.70%). Additionally, the company’s average yield of paddy seeds stood at 2.38 MT per hectare, which is notably lower than the state average of 3.49 MT per hectare.
There was a considerable shortfall of 34.02% in the annual production targets for paddy seeds during this timeframe, with the shortfall fluctuating between 6.70% in 2023-24 and 49.86% in 2018-19. The production of non-paddy seeds, totaling 35.12 MT, was minimal compared to the targeted production of 366.75 MT.
The absence of adequate irrigation facilities exacerbated operational constraints, leaving farms vulnerable to crop failures, primarily due to reliance on monsoon rains. Additionally, poor drainage systems led to waterlogging during heavy downpours, further damaging crops and decreasing yields.
The CAG report also pointed out that the corporation lacked marketing information about neighboring states and did not develop strategies to assess annual seed requirements or the pricing strategies of competitors. Furthermore, the absence of a distinct brand identity hindered the company’s ability to attract customers.
As a result of these production deficiencies, the corporation struggled to supply quality seeds at affordable prices, forcing farmers in the state to turn to private traders for their seed needs. The report presented to the State Assembly emphasized that this shortfall was attributed to a lack of skilled technical personnel and insufficient farm infrastructure.
Furthermore, the audit revealed issues such as uncontrolled cattle grazing in harvested areas, a lack of proper soil testing mechanisms, and inadequate pest control measures-all of which contributed to the production shortfall. These issues could have been managed through timely interventions by the company.
Alarmingly, the corporation lacked a systematic approach for the periodic review of seed farm performance and did not analyze the causes of low productivity. This oversight suggested a significant deficiency in effective monitoring within the organization. The company operates 12 seed farms across 383 hectares, yet 131.50 hectares are used for non-production purposes like buildings and roads. Over six years, these farms incurred a total loss of Rs 43 lakh.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/cag-flags-seed-shortfall-in-assam-seeds-coporation-exposes-infra-gaps-1599126
Category: Assam,Featured
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Publish Date: 2025-11-26 09:08:00
