New policy to provide quality seeds

Development of better varieties to boost production of crops, particularly cotton

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New policy to provide quality seeds

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ISLAMABAD:

Amid a record decline in cotton output, the government has approved the National Seed Policy 2025 aimed at introducing high-quality seeds to boost agricultural production.

Pakistan's cotton harvest plunged to just five million bales a few years ago, a 40-year low, compared to the annual average of 10 to 12 million bales. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) had been working for decades on developing new seed varieties but no quality cotton seeds could be produced despite spending billions of rupees. The current government also decided to conduct an audit of PARC after winding up the organisaton. However, no outcome has emerged thus far.

Now, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has stepped in to introduce a new seed policy under which quality seeds will be provided for different crops.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research informed the cabinet, in a recent meeting, that a sustained increase in agricultural production and productivity relied significantly on the development of improved crop varieties and an efficient system for timely supply of high-quality seeds to farmers.

It was emphasised that seeds with appropriate characteristics could play a pivotal role in determining the production of food crops and the Seed Act 1976, revised through the Seed (Amendment) Act 2015 and 2024, and the Plant Breeders' Rights Act 2016 constituted the legal framework that formed the basis for promoting and regulating the seed sector. However, the absence of the national seed policy, the ministry shared, was the missing link. It told the cabinet that the SIFC reviewed the seed sector and its Executive Committee, in the sixth meeting held on October 24, 2023, directed the food ministry to frame and finalise a seed policy.

The ministry said that the formulation of the policy was discussed in meetings of the SIFC Executive Committee and Apex Committee and a committee was constituted, headed by the PARC chairman and comprising technical members including the director general, Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department, food security commissioner-I and food security commissioner-II.

The committee held extensive consultations including a national-level seminar and webinars at the provincial level in which all relevant federal and provincial departments, universities and other private-sector stakeholders were invited for deliberations to finalise the seed policy.

The ministry apprised the cabinet that the committee, after incorporating the feedback from all stakeholders, finalised the National Seed Policy 2025 and sent its final draft to the SIFC, which directed the ministry to complete the approval process.

The cabinet was informed that the prime minister granted his approval for submission of the policy to seek endorsement of the cabinet.

The cabinet considered a summary titled the "National Seed Policy", submitted by the Ministry of National Food Security, and approved the proposal.