Seeds Corporation presents dividend cheque of Rs 1.85 crore to Pawar India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The National Seeds Corporation (NSC) on Wednesday presented a cheque of Rs. 1.85 crore as dividend for the year 2008-09 to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. NSC Chairman S.K. Roongta presented the cheque to Pawar. The NSC has made an impressive growth during 2008-09 and surpassing all its previous physical and financial results it achieved an all time record turnover of Rs. 292.42 crore as against Rs. 227.38 crore during 2007-08, thus recording a growth of more than 29 per cent. Under the physical parameters the quantity of seeds produced increased from 8.6 lakh quintals during 2007-08 to 10.18 lakh quintals during 2008-09, a growth of 18 per cent. The quantity of seeds sold also increased from 8.15 lakh quintals to 9.96 lakh quintals, registering a growth of 22 per cent during the same period. The NSC took several initiatives for improving its performance, including forging strategic business alliances for production, processing and marketing of seeds through partnership with various state governments, state seeds corporations as well as public-private partnership with leading seed companies. It has also made serious efforts in providing quality seeds to farmers in remote areas including Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states. Under its scheme of corporate social responsibility, the NSC conducted free soil health testing, organized animal health check up camps, imparted training to seed growers and farmers, distributed seed storage bins and created water harvesting structures in seed villages.