Sindh Seed Corporation is expected to become self-financing and profitable organisation by earning an estimated total net profit of Rs 85.343 million by the year 2009-10, as per action plan approved by Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim.
This was informed in a meeting of the Sindh Seed Corporation Management Board, held under the chairmanship of Provincial Secretary Agriculture, Mahkumdin Qadri at SSC headquarters here. The meeting was also attended by Haji Mohammad Aslam, Guda Hussain Mahesar, Syed Nadeem Shah, Amir Bux Shar, Ghulam Qadir Keerio, Arbab Ramis Memon, Major Umer Farooq (Retd), Haji Khan Keerio, SSC Managing Director and representatives of seed and certification agencies.
The meeting, reviewing the progress made so far, observed that from this year the process of seed production would greatly be improved and targets would be achieved as all the seed farms had been made productive.
There are six seed production farms at Pai Sakrand, Setharja, Ruk, Ghotki, Lodra and Lakhi, which were previously in loss and have now been turned into profitable seed production farms by taking a number of measures. More steps are being initiated to improve quality of seed supplied to growers and restore credibility of the Seed Corporation.
In view of the growers' demand, the Sindh chief minister had revived the Corporation, closed under an agreement with the Asian Development Bank, with the condition that the Corporation would be made profitable and self-financing within five years. A project costing Rs 225 million was also commissioned to support the organisation during these five years.
The project components include rehabilitation of seed plants, development of seed farms, procurement and sale of seed, mobility, monitoring cost, and financial liabilities. According to the target of seed marketing action plan, in the fifth year, the Corporation would be producing quality, pure and certified seed of cotton 2000 metric tonnes, wheat 8000 metric tonnes and paddy 3600 metric tonnes.
It was decided that one paddy seed processing plant will be installed at Shikarpur for upper Sindh and one at Sakrand for lower Sindh growers. SSC has 12 cereal seed processing plants installed at Sakrand, Tandojam, Kotdiji, Ghotki, and Setharjia.
The chief minister had constituted a strong Management Board with majority members from growers' community so that decisions are taken in the benefit of growers. The Board meets every month to review the progress.