The Gujarat government is targeting to cover over 150,000 tribal farmers under its project Sunshine, aimed at providing high quality hybrid corn seeds to farmers in tribal areas at affordable prices.
According to the details tabled in the Assembly, state-owned Gujarat State Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (GSFC) and biotech company Monsanto India have started ‘Sunshine’ in public private partnership.
So far 957,000 kg of Dekalb corn hybrid seeds have been made available to various tribal farmers for Rs 94 per kg. “Around 30,000 farmers in 335 villages in Gujarat had already been covered under this project in the year 2008. The project got extension in January this year. The aim is to supply hybrid corn seeds to more than 150,000 tribal farmers in time to come,” said officials of Monsanto India ltd.
Project Sunshine is a part of Gujarat government’s Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojna. The basic objective of the project is to double the income of tribal farmers by providing high quality corn seeds.
“Farmers in tribal areas used to receive a yield of 4 quintals per acre before the implementation of the project. Now with the help of hybrid corn seeds, the yield has surged to 10 quintals per acre,” Monsanto officials added.
Apart from supply of seeds, tribal farmers are also educated on farming practices and post harvest exercise.