A crucial meeting centred on the sale of hybrid and duplicate seeds of rice variety PR 126 was convened under the chairmanship of Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. This gathering brought together stakeholders from various sectors to tackle the growing concern over unauthentic seed sales and milling quality issues related to rice hybrids.

Dr. Gosal underscored the importance of PAU-recommended rice varieties, highlighting their superior milling quality and extensive cultivation across 70% of the state’s rice-growing areas. His remarks set the stage for a comprehensive discussion on the ongoing challenges facing the rice industry.

Among the attendees were key figures like Mr. Tarsem Lal Saini, President of the All India Rice Millers Association, along with other representatives from the milling industry, Dr. Ranjodh Singh Bains and Dr. Vikram Singh from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Punjab, and a team of rice scientists from PAU, Ludhiana.

Mr. Saini commended the milling quality of PAU’s PR 126 rice variety but expressed concern about the widespread sale of counterfeit seeds. He shared that rice millers are experiencing considerable difficulties with hybrid rice processing due to the high percentage of broken grains. According to him, the percentage of broken grains in rice hybrids is nearly double that of PR 126, posing a significant challenge for millers.

The meeting’s discussions soon focused on the issue of spurious seed sales and the need for stricter enforcement. Mr. Saini urged the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to implement stringent measures to curb the sale of unapproved hybrids. This suggestion received support from departmental representatives, who stressed that arthiyas should be held accountable for procuring unauthorized seeds that do not meet Food Corporation of India (FCI) moisture standards.

The Vice-Chancellor commended the timely intervention by the Rice Millers Association and other stakeholders in addressing these concerns. He encouraged all parties to work collaboratively towards ensuring the integrity of rice seeds and improving milling quality, emphasizing that such efforts are crucial for sustaining Punjab’s rice industry.

The meeting concluded with a commitment from all parties to intensify efforts in combating the sale of counterfeit seeds and enhancing the quality of rice hybrids. Dr. Gosal thanked the attendees for their active participation and expressed optimism that these combined efforts would lead to significant improvements in the state’s rice production and milling standards.