The total acarage of each stream shows a rapid change almost yearly. In
West Bengal HYV varieties are used 70% during summer and 100% during winter. Conventional
Varieties account for 30% during summer only. While hybrid paddy seeds are in the stage of
R & D.
Pallishree Limited sells 20,000 MT. of Paddy Seeds yearly at present
and aims at reaching a target of 30,000 MT. by the year 2000 A.D. Most of these are H.Y.V.
varieties. A few conventional varieties are also sold. Hybrid paddy is still in the
research stage.
Source of Paddy Seed varieties:
- Conventional varieties are very area specific. Most are kept by farmers from previous
harvests. Chinsurah Rice Research Centre stores a large number of these varieties used in
West Bengal. Pallishree Limited purchases the nuclear seeds of some popular conventional
varieties from this institute, and cultivates them for selling to farmers.
- HYV seeds are only developed by the Government of India's Agricultural Institutes.
Regional Institutes have nuclear seeds of specified varieties. Breeder seeds grown from
these nuclear seeds are purchased by Pallishree Limited, through the Seed Association of
India, from these institutes. Pallishree then grows foundation seeds from these nuclear
seeds, and finally certified seeds from these foundations seeds. These certified seeds are
then sold to the farmer for growing commercial paddy. The quantum of these certified seeds
sold by Pallishree is at present 20,000 MT. yearly.
- Pallishree obtains C.M.S., Maintainer and Restorer lines of Paddy Seeds from Government
Sources and I.R.R.I. for its R & D programme of Hybrid Paddy Seeds.
