NEW DELHI — The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) on Monday said it has revamped and introduced 170 seed categories on the portal to simplify access to quality agricultural and horticulture seeds for farmers. “Created ahead of the upcoming cropping season, the newly populated categories feature nearly 8,000 seed varieties that can be procured by Central and State PSUs and other governing bodies for further dissemination across the country,” according to an official statement issued on Monday. Created after consultation with stakeholders including state seed corporations and research bodies, seed categories on GeM portal offer a ready framework for seed procurement, incorporating the extant rules & regulations by Government of India and necessary parameters, easing the entire process for procuring authorities. The roll out of these new categories is a part of GeM’s broader strategy to promote category-based procurement through the portal. With an emphasis on increasing efficiency, the move aims to reduce time consumed in tendering processes, stimulate transparency and accountability in government procurement, while facilitating increased participation of sellers across the country. Also read: PM Vishwakarma scheme makes headway with 2.58 crore artisans on board “We invite sellers to leverage these new seed categories and list their offerings to participate...