TIRUCHY: The Seed Testing Centre functioning at the Integrated Seed and Organic Certification complex in Thanjavur bagged the national accreditation certificate, and the agriculture officials handed over the certificate to the Collector B Priyanka Pankajam on Thursday.

It is said that as many as 30 seed testing centres are functioning across the state under the control of the Seed Certification department, and the one in Thanjavur is said to be in the forefront of certifying the seeds promptly.

Apart from paddy, blackgram, pulses, sesame, groundnut, cotton seeds and maize are being assessed in the centre, and the seeds are distributed to the farmers after ensuring proper moisture condition, germination status and health status of eh seeds.

As all the criteria are inspected in the seeds, the farmers avail quality seeds with less expenditure but higher-yielding seeds.

According to officials, as many as 2,666 seed samples were tested in the centre this year, in which as many as 167 seeds were found to be of poor quality, and the farmers were recommended not to use such seeds anymore.

As the centre has been assessing the seed qualities on international standards, the NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) has accredited the Tamil Nadu-based centre for the first time.

On Thursday, the officials from the centre met Collector Priyanka Pankajam and handed over the accreditation certificate. The Collector praised the officials for the recognition.