CII Agri Inputs Virtual Summit, 6th Oct 2022, Transforming Agriculture for Global Challenge
CII organized Agri Inputs Virtual Summit on 6th October 2022 on the theme “Transforming Agriculture for Global Challenge”. SeedWorks was one of the sponsors for the event. The inaugural session focused on India being the second-largest agricultural producer globally. However, there is a slowdown in the Indian agriculture sector owing to unpredictable monsoons, yield stagnation and low prices for produce, among other factors. The Government aims at doubling farmers’ income by 2022. The initiative will go a long way in addressing the agrarian crisis, but an enabling policy environment must complement crop sciences. Fortunately, seed technology and crop protection can provide sustainable solutions and play a critical role in enhancing agricultural growth, helping farmers increase their income and ensuring national food security. This conference aimed to focus on the gaps in the Indian regulatory framework vis-a-vis global regulations.
Mr Ramit Bharti Mittal, Co-Chairman, CII Regional Committee on Agriculture, Food Processing & Dairy Executive Chairman & Director Gourmet Investments Pvt Ltd. did the welcome address. Mr Mayank Singhal, Chairman, CII (NR) Committee on Agriculture, Food Processing & Dairy Vice Chairman & Managing Director PI Industries Ltd., addressed the theme and set the context.
Mr Venkatram Vasantavada MD& CEO SeedWorks International Private Ltd. chaired and moderated the “Policy, Regulations and Guidelines for Indian Seed Industry” session. The speakers were Mr Ram Kaundinya, Director-General FSII, Mr Ajai Rana MD& CEO Savannah Seeds, Dr Arvind Kapur MD Ascen Hyveg and Dr Paresh Verma Executive Director, Bioseed SE Asia, DCM Shriram Ltd.
The session highlighted that seed is the vital input for successful agriculture production. Therefore, it is essential to maintain its purity and quality through various stages of seed production. The Government of India had framed and brought out different legislations to protect the quality of seeds and planting materials. There is a need to promote hybrid seeds with better yield, resistance and quality. The session aimed to analyze the need for change in policies for seed approval for a win-win situation for all the stakeholders. The regulatory framework deals rightly with the development, production, storage, sale, transport, and use of products to ensure safety and eliminate risk to humans, animals, and the environment. However, regulation should be science-based, predictable and time-bound. It is imperative to identify and eradicate systemic bottlenecks leading to delayed approvals.
The speakers emphasized that regulatory support is essential for the progress of the crop science industry. In biotechnology and crop protection products, accelerate the transfer of already tested technologies and be used elsewhere. Regulatory support is needed, especially for products that bring greater resource efficiency and safety into our agriculture, benefiting our farmers. Speedy technology transfer and manufacturing such products in India will help our Make in India initiative and give impetus to developing indigenous production capabilities, thereby reducing the cost of products and the benefits being distributed to the farmers readily.
It was an insightful session that saw good participation wrapped up by the Q&A session. The CII team thanked SeedWorks for its presence and participation at CII Agri Inputs Summit 2021 and mentioned that our MD & CEO Mr Venkatram Vasantavada’ s comments on the subject were very forthright and encouraging. The event received a very positive & encouraging feedback from all the stakeholders
