Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, an arm of the global agri major Syngenta, has opened a Seed Health Hub here, its third such laboratory in the world. The company, which meets 8-10 per cent of the world’s vegetable needs, said the laboratory would help it further strengthen its seed research and production capabilities.

The other seed health laboratories are located in the United States and the Netherlands.

Built with an investment of ₹20 crore, the 6,500-sq ft facility can conduct 12,000 virus/bacterial tests annualy.

“The facility is complaint with seed health test regulations in India and will be aligned with international accreditation programmes such as International Seed Health Initiative (ISHI) and Naktuinbouw Authorised Laboratiries (NAL),” Erik Postma, Global Head of Quality Management for Syngenta Vegetable Seeds and Flowers, has said.

The lab is also seeking export certification and local accreditation with the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

“The number of seed transmitted diseases is increasing. As a result the government controls are increasing. They are putting severe restrictions such as quarantine for certain pests and diseases,” he said.

“Detailed care must be taken with every seed that makes it to a grower. This is a shared responsibility of the entire seed industry. We will offer our seed testing services to other seed companies to support international phytosanitary standards,” he said.

“Global seed stewardship and promoting seed health in the global movement of seeds is critical to protecting the integrity of growers’ crops and safeguarding global supplychains and global food security,” he said.

He said the European Union started testing themselves the seeds that are arriving in its region though they were tested negative in the origin countries.

The company said the investment was made in tune with the India’s Make in India initiative. 

India is an important hub for the seed major as it produces 40 per cent of its global production.  “High-quality, healthy seed is the foundation of success in the field for our customers. This investment highlights our commitment to ensuring growers have a reliable supply of healthy, disease-free seed,” Nishchint Bhatia, Head of Asia Pacific for Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, said.

Syngenta, which started its operations in Hyderabad in 2009, has over 250 full-time and seasonal employees and workers supporting seed processing, quality control and supply operations.

M Raghunandan Rao, Agriculture Commissioner, and B Gopi, Director (Agriculture), Govt of Telangana, were present at the inauguration of the laboratory.

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