Uttar Pradesh to Establish 5 Seed Parks

• 30 Jul 2025

Why in News? 

The Uttar Pradesh government is aiming to make the state self-reliant in high-quality seed production by establishing five state-of-the-art seed parks across different agro-climatic zones. 

Key Points 

• About: The seed parks will address region-specific crop needs and ensure the availability of quality seeds, with an investment of Rs 2,500 crore over the next three years. 
  • The agriculture department has identified six large farms with existing infrastructure (ranging from 200 to 400+ hectares), which will be leased to private entities for seed production. 
• Locations: The Seed Parks will be established in Western UP, Terai, Central UP, Bundelkhand, and Eastern UP. 
  • The first seed park, named after former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, will be established in Attari, Lucknow. It will feature facilities for seed production, processing, storage, speed breeding, and hybrid laboratories. 
• Model: The government is using a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, offering incentives to private investors, with land leases for 30 years, extendable up to 90 years. 
• Benefit: Uttar Pradesh, with its large agricultural base, stands to benefit greatly from this initiative. Key benefits include: 
  • Job Creation: Across all five parks, approximately 6,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs will be generated, benefiting nearly 40,000 seed-producing farmers. 
  • Self-Reliance in Seed Production: The state expects to save around Rs 3,000 crore annually by producing seeds locally, strengthening the local economy, and creating jobs in production, logistics, and transport. 
  • Seed Replacement Rate (SRR): This initiative is expected to improve the SRR, directly impacting crop yields. 
  • Potential Yield Improvement: Officials estimate that better seed availability could narrow the yield gap by 15-20%. 
    • Uttar Pradesh has the largest cultivable land and the highest irrigated area in the country, but lags behind states like Punjab and Haryana in per-hectare yields. 
  • Quality Issues: The establishment of these seed parks will ensure better seed quality for farmers across Uttar Pradesh. 
    • Poor-quality seeds, identified in 3,630 out of 1,33,588 tested samples in the 2023-2024 Seed Test Report, lead to low germination rates, delayed re-sowing, wasted investments in land preparation and fertilizers, and ultimately, reduced crop yields.