Seed firms hold 20-30% surplus stock for Kharif: FSII

India’s private seed companies are holding 20-30 per cent surplus stock for the Kharif season, but ensuring timely distribution to critical rain-deficient geographies remains the key challenge as El Nino threatens to deliver a weak and delayed monsoon this year, industry body FSII has said.

Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) Chairman Ajai Rana said while the sector was well-prepared following a bumper seed production season for corn, rice, and millets, a recent survey of 1,000 farmers showed 75 per cent had already purchased seed while the remaining 25 per cent were waiting for the monsoon —  underscoring the urgency of moving stocks from surplus areas to vulnerable districts before the planting window closed.

“We typically plan with 15-20 per cent buffer for returns. This year’s strong seed production has further strengthened our position. … Many companies are having 20-30 per cent surplus stock,” Rana told PTI in an interview.

In scenarios where farmers may need to replant due to a weak or delayed monsoon, the surplus stock (both government and industry) should help.
“But the key challenge is not total availability but timely distribution to the right geographies,” he noted.

Short-duration and climate-resilient hybrids are critical in distressed districts, he added. The government has pegged certified seed availability at 192.43 lakh quintals against a requirement of around 173 lakh quintals, a surplus of 11.2 per cent for this kharif season. The private sector, which supplies nearly 70 per cent of seeds through a network of over 10 lakh retailers, has built additional buffer stocks over and above this.

The Government has identified 315 districts across 12 states that are likely to be impacted due to the delayed monsoon this kharif season. 
Rana said nearly 50 per cent of Indian agriculture remained rain-fed, making the Kharif season acutely vulnerable to the El Nino weather pattern this year.