Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)
To check sale of unregistered, unapproved and counterfeit seed, the Federal Seed Certification & Research Department (FSC&RD) has notified amendments in the Seed (Business Regulations) Rules 2016, asking the seed companies to establish a tracking system to enable growers to verify whether the seed in bag or a container that grower has acquired is of approved variety and duly certified.
For that purpose, the FSC&RD may issue binding directions or orders to any of the seed producing or importing companies to install, construct, establish or maintain such facilities or to follow such procedures for packing or lablelling as may be required by the FSC&RD, in its direction, to establish such a tracking system.
Welcoming this condition raised by the newly-notified amendment rules, stakeholders said it will effectively stop the sale of counterfeit seed sale. However, they said that the tracking system should be developed after industry consultation.
The demand was raised in a presentation to journalists at the seminar on “modern tools for sustainable agriculture” arranged recently by the CropLife Pakistan. Speakers urged the government to consult the seed industry and other stakeholders to make these rules more effective, developing a convincing seed tracking process and ensure local seed production to boost Pakistan’s agriculture.
Tallal Hakeem, member seed committee of the CropLife, while speaking on the amendments said stakeholders should also be consulted on amendment, which requires establishment and implementation of tracking system including a digital printing facility located in his premises but linked with a central database maintained by FSC&RD to enable traceability and verification of seed produced or offered to the farmers through a unique algorithmic label or a scratchable card, which could be affixed on or put inside each seed bag or container.
He further said amendments required that every importing company shall produce at least 10 percent of seed of its imported varieties locally per year reaching a target of 50 percent by fifth year.
He said this is binding on import only companies too against the import only principle. In his opinion all hybrid/varieties cannot be produced locally, germplasm security is a major challenge in this regard.
“Stakeholders think that local cost of production of seeds will be more than international due to economy of scales while setting up of infrastructure in this regard requires time and cost,” Tallal added.
He appreciated the mechanism introduced by the government i.e., signing of a performance contract with the FSC&RD, which lists down the performance obligations of the seed business company including the requirement of submission of a performance bond by the applicant and provides that the forfeiture of performance bond due to default on the part of seed business company shall result in immediate cancellation of registration.
He said it will help control the mushroom growth of seed companies and only genuine companies will remain in the field. However, he demanded that representatives of the seed companies should also be taken Seed Business Registration Committee on board.
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