Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification was registered under A.P. (Telangana Area) Public Societies Registration Act Regd. No. 334176, to carry out the functions of certification agencies under Seeds Act, 1966 in Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification Authority (APSSCA) was registered with District Registrar Guntur with Regd No. 117 of 2016 under Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2001 to carry out the functions of seeds certification.
As per the G.O.Rt.No. 929 Dated: 14.12.2016, Government Of Andhra Pradesh, Agriculture & Cooperation (Agri-I) Department has issued orders changing the nomenclature of Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification Agency as Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification Authority will immediate effect for carrying out seed certification.
The Seed industry was under developed before the year 1960. Thereafter release of hybrid seeds in certain crops lead to the increase in demand for seeds, which had a catalytic effect in stimulating the development of an indigenous seed industry.
Before the year 1976, the Seed production, Seed Certification and Seed Law Enforcement Cells were part and parcel of Department of Agriculture under the control of Director of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh. This was continued till conception of National Seed Program, which emphasized the need for establishment of separate entities to safeguard the aspects of seed production and quality maintenance.
Based on the report / recommendations of World Bank, the Government have separated Seed Production and Certification Cells from Department of Agriculture by retaining only Seed Law Enforcement Cell with the Department, with a view to establish independent entities for both separated wings.
Seed certification has been found to be the best method of ensuring seed quality throughout the World. Seed Certification is legally sanctioned system and regulatory process to ensure and make available good quality seeds to the farming community with certain prescribed standards of genetic purity, physical purity, moisture & germination. Realizing this, the Government of India has enacted the Seeds Act, 1966 for regulating the quality of seeds offered for sale in the Country.
The seed certification system is so designed to prevent the passage of substandard seed material into the distribution channel. Under certified seed production program seed quality is monitored at various stages viz., seed crop growth, seed processing and grading stage, seed testing stage, packing and tagging stage etc., and the seed material not conforming to the standards prescribed for certification is rejected.
The Seeds Act-1966 (Central Act No.53 of 1966) is an enactment for regulating the quality of certain Seeds to be said for purpose of agriculture and in the interest of increased agriculture production of the Nation. The purpose of the legislation among others are fixing of minimum standards for germination, purity and other quality factors, testing the seeds for quality factors at the Seed Testing Laboratories, creation of Seed Inspection and Certification service in each State etc.
Seed Certification Agencies are established under the provisions of Section-8 of the Seeds Act 1966 and their activities are governed as per Seeds Rules, 1968. As per Section-8 of the Seeds Act, 1966, the State Government or the Central Government in consultation with the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette establish a Certification Agency for the State to carry out the functions entrusted to the certification agency by or under this Act.
Accordingly, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has issued orders through G.O.Ms.No.372, Food & Agriculture (FP.II) Dept., dt. 17.04.1976 and requested the Director of Agriculture to take immediate action to set up an independent Seed Certification Agency and register the same under Societies Registration Act.
As per the decision of Government, the proposal for creating two independent Organizations was generated and which resulted for formation of APSSDC Ltd & APSSCA to regulate Seed Production and Seed Quality and to serve the farming community at large. The Andhra Pradesh State Seed Development Corporation Ltd., was registered under Companies Act-1956 for organizing Seed Production and Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification Agency registered under AP (Telangana Area) Public Societies Registration Act 334 of 1976, for maintaining quality of seeds and to comply with the provisions of Section (8) of Seeds Act-1966 and Seed Rules-1968 with effect from 01.06.1977.
As per the orders, the Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification Agency was registered under Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Area) Public Societies Registration Act, 1350 Fasli (Act-I, of 1350F) on 22nd April, 1976 as an autonomous body in exercise of the powers conferred under Section-8 of Seeds Act, 1966.
Subsequently, the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh issued G.O.Ms.No.435 Food & Agriculture (FP-II), 1st June, 1977 approving the proposals submitted by the Director of Agriculture directed that the APSSCA registered under the Public Societies Registration Act shall carry on the functions of the Certification Agency under the Seeds Act 1966 in the State with effect from 01.06.1977. A Gazette Notification No.79, dt: 01.06.1977 to this effect was also issued on appointment of Officers to carry out the functions of Certification Agency in the territorial jurisdiction of the State of Andhra Pradesh under the Seeds Act 1966. As per the notification, the APSSCA and its Officers shall carry out the functions of Seed Certification in the territorial jurisdiction of Andhra Pradesh and that the Officers appointed by the Agency shall grant a certificate after following the procedure laid down in Section 9 of the said Act. This notification has come into force from 1st June, 1977.
Further, Staff Recruitment and Service Regulations were framed based on the Rules & Regulations followed by the Govt. of A.P., in all respects for governance of APSSCA which were approved by the Governing Board in its 29th meeting held on 27.03.1986 under Agenda Item No.3 and also in the 30th meeting held on 29.05.1986 under Agenda Item 5 & 11. Subsequently, the said regulations are being amended from time-to-time whenever amended in the Government to adopt the same Rules & Regulations on par with Government. A provision was also made to adopt the Govt. Rules, in case of any difficulty, where regulations of APSSCA do not provide specifically on any issue.
The Employees Discipline & Appeal Regulations were framed on the lines of Govt. CCA Rules, 1991 and approved by the Governing Board of APSSCA in its 77th meeting held on 23.08.2001 under Agenda item No.6. If any doubt arises as to the interpretation of any of the provisions of these regulations, the matter shall be referred to the Governing Board, whose decision shall be final. The Governing Board may amend, modify or add to these Regulations from time-to-time and all such amendments, modifications or additions shall take effect from the dates stated therein.
After bifurcation of AP State, Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification Agency (APSSCA) was registered with District Registrar Guntur with Regd No. 117 of 2016 under Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2001 to carry out the functions of seed certification.
As per G.O.Rt.No. 929 Dated: 14.12.2016, the GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Agriculture & Cooperation (Agri-I) Department has issued orders changing the nomenclature of Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification Agency as Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification Authority with immediate effect for carrying out seed certification.
However, seed certification is voluntary in the Country and only notified varieties are eligible for certification.
