Union minister inaugurates Asian Seed Congress 2025 in Mumbai

The Asian Seed Congress 2025 opened in Mumbai today with much fanfare, marking a major gathering for the seed sector in India and Asia at large. The event, which carries the theme “Sowing the seeds of prosperity through quality seeds,” was inaugurated by the Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who emphasised the twin imperatives of enhancing seed quality and ensuring affordability for farmers. The event brings together public-sector institutions, private seed companies and international bodies to focus on strengthening the seed ecosystem in India. During his address, the minister laid out the government’s three-fold agenda: guaranteeing food security, enabling nutritious diets and ensuring profitable farming. He said that India must ensure that farming remains a viable business while simultaneously raising productivity per hectare and reducing input costs. He pointed out that the development of climate-resilient and biofortified varieties is central to this effort, and stressed that the contribution of the private seed industry cannot be overlooked. He further appealed to seed companies to make their offerings more affordable, especially given the large number of small and marginal farmers in the country. The establishment and leadership of two key industry bodies were brought into...