Author(s):

RP Singh, Ravi Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Srikant Singh, Arvind Mishra, RK Singh, SK Singh, MC Jerai, LK Das, Sudhir Jha, B Ram, Ranjay K Singh, Pramod Kumar, AK Dwivedi, AK Jha, Arti B Ekka, Vinod Kumar, Uday K Singh, Sanjeev Kumar, S Kandeyang, CS Mahto, S Singh, SB Kumar and Madhukar Kumar

Abstract: Jharkhand state separated as southern plateau from the erstwhile Bihar, is richest in terms of country's mineral resources but among poorest by virtue of various developmental indexes and agricultural development is no way exception. Jharkhand agriculture is characterized as traditional one being subsistence type practiced on highly undulated topography and predominantly mono-cropping which the hallmark of state agriculture is. The state is inhabited predominantly by the resource poor marginal and small farmers (85%) who apply low external inputs under the rainfed marginal environmental conditions. The cropping intensity and productivity among all crops except pulses grown in state is far below than national average due to increased vulnerability, variability in yield and high yield gaps which seriously affect the food and nutritional security of the people in the state. The challenges before the Jharkhand agriculture is to increase crop production and productivity on sustainable basis by mitigating and adapting climate change effects, in order to make state not only self-sufficient in meeting its requirement of various food items, but also increasing farm income as the state is having highest level of farm household poverty in the country. To attain the set target of enhancing productivity, ensuring timely availability of quality seed in adequate quantity at affordable price to farmers is of paramount importance. The infrastructure related to seed production, processing, storage and distribution in the state is in nascent stage and depending on the outside agency to cater its requirement. Nevertheless, timely availability of seed of the appropriate varieties is very critical and therefore, the production of seed at local level is necessary which was started three years ago using participatory approach. In the present paper, the gained experience in seed production, certification, procurement, post-harvest management including processing and storage has been discussed. It is learnt that the assigned role of various stakeholders and their co-ordination is extremely important and the repulsive and/or non-supporting attitude of even one stakeholder may lead to the policy, program, distorted seed chain and enterprise failure. Moreover, this experience sharing may well be a lesson for other developing states/countries having similar kind of conditions and willing to enter in this venture. Nevertheless, corrective measures for different stakeholders including emphasis on the strengthening of semi-formal kind of seed system is advocated to promote climate resilient agriculture.

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