Bengaluru, (DHNS): The Karnataka government may introduce online trading for flower auctions from January 2018 beginning with the International Flower Auction Bangalore (IFAB).

Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said Karnataka the highest number of farmers engaged in flower production.

The government aims to convert the two-decade-old IFAB into the number one market in terms of volume in Asia.

He was speaking at a function to inaugurate a new building of the Karnataka State Seeds Corporation Ltd (KSSCL), flower exhibition centre and a high-tech training institute on IFAB premises for flower traders, customers and decorators at Hebbal.

The minister said the government would distribute certified sowing seeds (CSS) to farmers in next three years.

“We will stop distribution of truthfully labelled seed (TLS) in the next three years and will distribute only CSS. We’ve signed a memorandum of understanding with KSSCL,

National Seed Corporation Ltd and agricultural universities to enhance the production of CSS,” he added.

“The government distributes about 11 lakh quintals of sowing seeds every year, including KSSCL’s share of 3.5 11 lakh quintals. We’ve fixed the target of six lakh quintals sowing seed production for KSSCL. We are the only state in the country to distribute CSS,” he added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government would fix targets for production of sowing seeds for farmers in advance and procure them for distribution directly.