Seed of an idea: After Big B, son, wife growers

Lucknow: After Amitabh Bachchan, his wife Jaya and son Abhishek too have become registered seedgrowers of the UP Seed Development Corporation (UPSDC), a public sector undertaking.

"Both have paid the registration fee of Rs 25 and the inspection fee of Rs 275. For the rabi season, Abhishek Amitabh Bachchan (name as mentioned in records) has purchased 2.4 quintal of foundation seed of wheat at a cost of Rs 6,565 and Jaya Bachchan has bought 1.2 quintal seed for Rs 3,445," said J L Saroj, Managing Director of UPSDC. Amitabh, who had become a certified seed grower in May, had bought 3.2 quintal seed.
The Bachchan family will sell the wheat seed they produce to the corporation in March next year.
Saroj said any farmer holding a valid ownership title of agriculture land is qualified to become a seed grower with UPSDC. Since Abhishek and Jaya also own land, they became seed growers by completing the formalities.
The family had bought a little over six hectares in Muzaffarnagar, under Kakori block of Lucknow district.

The land has three accounts where Amitabh owns 2.5 hectares, Abhishek 1.2 hectares and Jaya 2.4 hectares. The corporation buys the crop from seedgrowers as raw seed at a price little higher than the minimum support price announced by the Centre. After processing and certification from the UP Seed Certification Agency, it is sold as certified seed by the corporation.
Amitabh's paddy crop is ready and the process of harvesting in under way. "The yield is likely to be around 100 quintal. Of this, we will sell 70 quintal as raw seed to the corporation by month-end. The sale will fetch us around Rs 90,000," said Rajendra Singh, Amitabh's brother-in-law who supervises the farming.
He said Amitabh was very keen to taste the rice grown in his field. "Though the rice is not of very good quality, I will be sending him a pack of five kg rice soon."
Source: The Indian Express