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			MAHARASHTRA STATE SEEDS CORPORATION LTD.


	Organization \| Back to About us

MSSCL was established on 28th April, 1976 at Akola. Akola was a natural choice for the headquarter as initially the seed production activities had been taken up in Akola and nearby districts i.e. Buldhana, Parbhani & Nanded. Later on, the production and seed distribution work has been extended to all the districts of Maharashtra.

The authorized share capital of MSSCL as on is Rs.10 Crores divided into equally shares of Rs.100 each. As against that, the paid up share capital of MSSCL is Rs.4.18 Crores. The shares have been held by following categories of share holders:

Government of Maharashtra	49.00 % shares
National Seeds Corporation	35.44 % shares
Farmers/Seed Growers	12.70 % shares
State Agril. Universities	02.86 % shares

There are 9,300 share holding farmers and two of the representatives are elected from among the share holders farmers in the Board of Directors.

The present strength of the Board of Directors is eleven. The directors are appointed/nominated under the provision contained in Article-125 of the Article of Association of the Company. Pursuant to the Art 142 of the Article of Association of the Company, the Secretary to the Government of Maharashtra, Department of Agriculture is the ex-officio Chairman of the Board of Directors.

1	Shri. Nanasaheb Patil, IAS, Chairman, MSSC Ltd., & Principal Secretary (Agril.), Agril. & ADF Deptt. Mantralaya Annexe, MUMBAI	Chairman of the Board of Directors, nominated by Govt. of Maharashtra
2	Shri Parimal Singh, IAS, Managing Director, MSSC Limited, Akola	Nominated by Govt. of Maharashtra.
3	Shri P.K. Deshmukh, IAS, Commissioner of Agriculture, Central Building, MS Pune	Nominated by Govt. of Maharashtra.
4	Shri G.K. Raut, Dy. Secretary (Agril.), Agriculture & ADF Deptt., Mantralaya Annexe, Mumbai	Nominated by Govt. of Maharashtra.
5	Dr. S.S. Kadam, Vice-chancellor, “Indraprastha”, Vice-chancellor’s Bunglow, Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani. 431402	Nominated by Agricultural Univeristyes. (Govt. of Maharashtra.)
6	Smt. Upma Chaudhary Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NSC Limited, Beej Bhavan, Pusa Complex, New Delhi.	Nominated by National Seeds Corporation Limited, New Delhi.
7	Dr. P.V. Salvi, “Nirmal”, 13/B, Krishi Housing Society, Near Gokhale Nagar, Pune – 16	Nominated by National Seeds Corporation Limited, New Delhi.
8	Shri Yashwant (Jay) Raghvendra Purandare, 5, Ashokban Society, Model Colony Road, Pune – 16	Nominated by National Seeds Corporation Ltd., New Delhi.
9	Shri Radhey Shyam, Regional Manager, NSC Limited, Beej Bhavan, 681-690, Market Yard, Gultekadi, Pune.	Nominated by National Seeds Corporation Ltd., New Delhi.
10	Shri Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, M.P. Ranpise Nagar, Akola.	Elected by Shareholders (Vidharbha Regaion)
11	Shri Vallabhrao T. Deshmukh, At+Post – Amdapur, Tq- Chikhali, Dist- Buldhana.	Elected by Shareholders (Rest of Maharashtra)
12	Shri Anil Keshavrao Patil Dhabekar Banglow, Amankhan Plot Akola—444 001	Nominated by Government of Maharashtra

Seed is the most critical and fundamental input for achieving sustained agricultural growth. The role of seed sector is not only to ensure the timely supply of adequate quantity of quality seeds to farmers but also to achieve varietal diversity to suit various agro climatic zones.

Winner of National Productivity Award

More than 65% of the population of Maharashtra depends on agriculture for livelihood. Though the state is richly endowed with diverse agro-climatic and soil conditions, nearly 85% of the cultivable land is under rainfed conditions. Hence to double the food production by 2011, multi pronged efforts have to be made to enhance the agricultural productivity and the most crucial of them, in the words of eminent Agriculture Expert & Chairman, High level committee on Agriculture of maharashtra, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, is “to ensure increased supply of quality seeds & plannint material.

Improvement of seed replacement ratio (SRR), incorporation of pest and disease resistance through conventional as well as genetic engineering methods and R&D efforts to respond to region specific varietal requirements to improve the yield sustainability are the major challenges to the seed industry. The seed industry has shown impressive performance and has geared up to take up the challenge of agricultural productivity. Globalization and economic liberalization has provided the appropriate climate for excellence through competitiveness.

Government of India has formulated the Indian Seeds Act, which was passed by the Parliament in the year 1966, with the purpose of regulating the quality of seeds. Under the World Bank funded National Seeds Project (NSP) the State Governments were assisted to set up Seeds Corporations to produce, process & distribute quality certified seeds to the farmers at reasonable prices. Under the NSP, the infrastructure of agricultural institutions was also strengthened to facilitate the seed research as well as production of breeder and foundation seed. Seed testing laboratories and state seed certification agencies were established to ensure the quality parameters. Maharashtra was on of the forerunner states to set up its own State Seed Corporation under the NSP in the year 1976. Thus emerged MSSCL on the horizon of national seed scenario.

MSSCL (Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation Limited) Akola is a leading Public Sector Seed Company of India MSSCL was incorporated under Companies Act, 1956. It is one of the largest State Seeds Corporation among all SSCs. Engaged primarily in production, processing and marketing of seeds or more than 50 Crops & 225 Varieties & Hybrids in almost all categories i.e. Cereals, Pulses, Oilseeds, Fibres, Vegetables, green Manuring & Fodder Crops as well as planting material.

MSSCL is well known in the Country for highest standards of quality and productivity it has maintained over the years and has been awarded National Productivity Award, a prestigious Award instituted by National Productivity Council for a record more than 14 times till date.

Set up with the objectives of making available best quality certified seeds in appropriate quantity at right time at affordable prices to the farmers, MSSCL is now producing more than 9 Lakh Qtls of quality certified seed and supplying to the farmers living private dealers as well as cooperative Agri-input marketing societies in Maharashtra as well as 12 other states all over India. MSSCL produces high quality certified, foundation and truthful seeds of assured genetic and physical purity, high germination and vigour.

Marketed under the popular brand name of “MAHABEEJ” (meaning great seed), MSSCL seeds have become symbols of quality. Mahabeej seeds are produced in diverse agro-climatic regions under the supervision of experienced technical work force. From sowing to harvesting and processing, packing to storage, the seeds are scientifically monitored to achieve and maintain uniform high quality.

MSSCL is located at Akola in Western Vidarbha, which is known as the centre of seed sector of Maharashtra and the seat of agricultural education in the form of Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Agriculture University, Akola also houses the headquarter of State Seeds Certification Agency. The Chairman of MSSCL is the Secretary (Agril) to Government of Maharashtra and Managing Director is also a senior IAS officer based at Akola.

MSSCL has 7 Regional Offices in Maharashtra viz. Pune, Thane, Jalgaon, Jalna, Parbhani, Akola & Nagpur. The regional headquarters and area offices which are located in outside states are at Kurnool, AP (Southern Region), Indore, MP (Central Region), Kashipur, Uttaranchal (Northern Region), Gandhinagar, Gujrat (Western Region), Kolkatta (Eastern Region).

There are 26 well developed Seed Processing Plants (SPPs) with scientific storage facilities of 4.5 Lakhs quintals capacity, equipped with modern gadgets and machineries located in various parts of the State, even in the fringes and hinterlands with a view to facilitate the seed growers.

MSSCL produces high quality certified, foundation and truthful seeds of assured genetic and physical purity with high germination and assured vigour. The seed production programme is organized through more than 50,000 seed growers in Maharashtra, AP, MP, Gujrat & Uttaranchal. The seed production programme is taken on 60,000 Ha. With the seed growers directly and with the help of organizers.

Standards of quality are maintained at every stage viz. production, processing, storage and marketing through scientific approach and strict surveillance. During seed production programme, rigorous concurrent inspections are done by MSSCL field officers. Apart from that independent and strict inspections are also taken by Seed Certification Agency officers. Technical guidance is consistently provided to the seed growers to maintain quality standards in seed production. Any kind of impurity found gets plugged during the inspection and the genetic purity levels are maintained thoroughly. The seeds passed in the basic parameters are only taken for processing. The processed seed is further tested in the grow out test for evaluation of the genetic purity.

The market share of MSSCL is 50% in terms of volume & 35 to 40% in terms of value in Maharashtra. MSSCL is the unchallenged market leader in Soyabean, Wheat, Paddy, Groundnut, Gram Udid, Jowar, Bajra, Tur & Moog and has very good market share in Jute, Dhaincha, Notified Improved & Hy. Cotton & Vegetables.

Till 1993, MSSCL was dealing with public bred notified Hybrids/Varieties of different crops. However, in order to fulfill the requirement of farmers for superior quality research hybrids. MSSC Ltd. Set up its own full fledged R&D unit with expert team of breeders. MSSCL has carried out own research and has come out with some excellent hybrids in the field of Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Maize, Sunflower, Cotton & Vegetables. In addition to own R&D, MSSCL has popularized public bred notified varieties of SAUs (State Agricultural Universities) and Research Institutions of ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research). MSSCL has also entered in tie-up arrangements and research collaborations with reputed International Institutions like ICRISAT, Hyderabad & ICGEB, New Delhi.

In the era of Bio-technology and Genetic Engineering, MSCL has embarked on the process of developing transgenic in Cotton and for that has set up in 2002, a state of art Mahabeej Bio-Technology Centre (MBC) at Nagpur with the financial assistance from Vidarbha Statutory Development Board in technical collaboration with ICGEB, New Delhi. With a long term insect resistance management strategy, MBC is endeavoring to incoroporate multiple insect resistant genes in cotton varieties. MSSCL has acquired permission from Department of Biotechnology, GOI to take up research in the arena of Bt.Cotton.

MSSCL has also set up sophisticated Tissue Culture Laboratory for large scale commercial production of Tissue Culture Banana & Sugarcane plantlets by micro propagation techniques.

Under Research & Development Project of machinery, MSSCL has designed and developed unique Pollution Free Cotton Seed Delinting Technology with the research grant from DSIR & ICAR, New Delhi.

The new technology eliminates the use of Sulphuric acid, which is a major pollutant and facilitates non hazardous and pollution free delinting of fuzzy cotton seed, yielding about 15% enhancement in germination and overall vigor of the cotton seed thus boosting the productivity of cotton crop. The project has proved to be milestone in the TMC (Technology Mission on Cotton) launched by Government of India and also finds mention in the web site of ICAR & DSIR. Plants up to the capacity from 0.5 TPH (Tons Per Hour) to 4 TPH have been made available commercially to public & private sector seed companies. RSSC (Rajasthan State Seeds Corporation) & HSDC (Haryana Seeds Development Corporation) orders are under execution on turn key basis. Several private seed companies are coming forward for placing the orders.

MSSCL has diversified its activities and as part of diversification had established Nurseries of ornamental, fruit & flower plants at various locations. It has sale counters for marketing of these plants in Akola, Nagpur & Nasik. The Landscaping & Gardening consultancy and development work is undertaken as a new business. MSSCL is also planning to enter into marketing of planting materials in the area of medicinal, aromatic & herbal plantation.

Designed & Developed by : K. Asif Ahmed, System Manager, D.N. Kalbende, Computer Cell, Mahabeej , Akola