Online Lottery Revamps Mustard Seed Distribution in Sant Kabir Nagar
Sep, 23 2025
Starting this season, farmers in Sant Kabir Nagar won’t get mustard seeds handed out on a whim. The agriculture department has moved the whole process to an online portal, and a lottery will decide who receives a kit when more than 2,000 people apply. This shift aims to curb favoritism and make sure every eligible farmer gets a fair shot at the inputs.
How the new system works
First, growers log on to the official agriculture department website and fill out a simple form. They need to provide basic details – name, land size, and the village they belong to. Once the form is submitted, the system automatically checks whether the applicant qualifies for a mini kit, which contains exactly 2 kg of certified mustard seeds – enough to sow about one acre.
The department has earmarked 2,000 mini kits for the district. If the number of applications stays below that limit, every applicant gets a kit and can pick it up from the district warehouse. But if the count goes over, a computer‑driven lottery kicks in. The software randomly selects 2,000 names, and only those farmers receive a notification to collect their seeds.
There’s a hard deadline for picking up the breeder seeds: September 30, 2025. The date is set to force quick action, because the sooner farmers plant, the better they can dodge the delayed rains that have plagued recent harvests.
Why early planting matters
District Agriculture Officer Dr. Sarvesh Kumar Yadav stresses that timing is everything this year. With rainfall patterns shifting, starting mustard early gives the crop a chance to develop strong roots before the dry spell hits.
He also recommends the "Azad Mahak" variety for the local soil. Compared with older strains, Azad Mahak sprouts faster, tolerates slight water stress, and typically pushes out a higher seed yield per acre. For a farmer with a one‑acre plot, the 2 kg kit can translate into a full‑season harvest that covers both market sales and seed saving for the next year.
Beyond mustard, the department is urging growers to prepare fields for spring sugarcane. The idea is to keep the land productive year‑round, turning a single plot into a multi‑crop asset.
- Apply online through the agriculture portal before the deadline.
- Submit accurate land‑holding details to avoid disqualification.
- If selected, collect the 2 kg kit from the district warehouse by September 30, 2025.
- Plant the Azad Mahak variety as early as possible to beat the reduced rainfall.
- Consider rotating with spring sugarcane after mustard harvest for continuous income.
The move to a transparent, lottery‑based mustard seed distribution system has already sparked interest among local cooperatives, who see it as a model for other inputs like fertilizers and pesticides. While the online portal may be new to some, the department has arranged village‑level help desks to assist with registration, ensuring that no farmer is left behind because of a lack of internet access.
Overall, the revamped process combines technology, fairness, and agronomic advice to boost mustard production in Sant Kabir Nagar. As the planting window narrows, farmers are watching the portal closely, hoping their names appear in the lottery and that the promised seeds will indeed help them turn a challenging climate into a productive season.