In an innovative initiative aimed at providing quality seeds to farmers, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday launched a QR Code system, which will help in eliminating the market for spurious seeds and ensuring the integrity of the seed supply chain. The move will help the state farmers to easily determine the quality, source and certification of the seeds so that they receive only the best agricultural inputs.

After launching the QR Code system, Khudian said that this system will provide a robust quality assurance mechanism and trace the source of seeds throughout the production chain. This system will also enable farmers to access all the details about the seeds just by scanning the QR code tag on the seed bags, he said.

By scanning the QR code, the seeds can be verified and comprehensive information about the seed producers can be obtained, including details about the inspection reports and lab test results, he added.

He further informed that the seeds with valid certification will be sold by licensed dealers to farmers, which will ensure the integrity of the seed supply.

Khudian said that Punjab is an agrarian state and the Punjab Government is working hard to address the challenges and difficulties faced by the agriculture sector. This QR Code system is specifically designed to tackle issues related to seed production, quality seed identification and seed certification.

The Minister was apprised by Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Anurag Verma that the Punjab State Seed Certification Authority is the first organization in the country to implement the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication, and Holistic Inventory) portal, which was launched in Punjab on January 17, 2023. All seeds produced in the state are registered online on the ‘SATHI’ portal, with all processes from inspection to packing managed through this online system.

He further informed that the Punjab State Seed Certification Authority is continuously registering the seventh season of seed-producing crops online. Currently, information on 10,669 seed growers, including 360 seed-producing agencies, 341 seed processing plants and three testing labs has been updated on the portal.