BETTER access to good quality seed is of vital importance to sustain agricultural growth and food security. Unfortunately quality seed supply has not gone beyond 20 per cent of the country’s total estimated seed requirement of various crops.

Despite rapid growth in private seed companies which now number 725 — out of which five are multinationals — there is little trained manpower in the business. There is a dire need to develop human resource in seed technology in Pakistan and to introduce a unique seed certification and delivery programme which can boost the production of quality certified seeds and distribution to farmers according to their demand.

In this context, an international workshop on ‘Seed physiology, production and management’ was held in early October in University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). In the workshop, Food Security Commissioner Dr Shakeel Ahmed Khan stressed that there should be national seed policy and legal framework for seed import.

More than 100 people participated in the workshop. About 35 national and five international seed companies, including seed business people from four provinces also took keen interest in the training. The leading seed scientists i.e., three foreign and twelve local experts delivered their lectures on seed technology, production and biotechnology.

Former International Seed Testing Association President Professor Norbert Leist gave hands-on training on seed sampling, purity and germination testing in a two-day session. A lecture on ‘Seed longevity and storage’ on drying beads for seed handling, followed by training was given by Mr Johan Van Asbrouck from Rhino Research Group Thailand.

During the inauguration ceremony, workshop coordinator Dr Irfan Afzal introduced Pakistan Seed Academy as a new platform for strengthening the public-private partnership in seed innovations. He said that the prime objective of this academy was to develop human resource in the field of seed technology.

In this academy, UAF will work in collaboration with Crop Life Pakistan, Seed Association of Pakistan, Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department and the agricultural department. Professor Dennis Thompson of Southern Illinois University and Professor Kent Bradford, Director Seed Biotechnology Centre Davis, USA are on academy’s educational board.

UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Iqrar A. Khan highlighted the importance of seed as one of the major inputs for better crop production and food security. He focused more on approval of plant breeder’s right and asserted on implementation of the Seed Act to check illegal and seed adulteration business. He added that UAF can play an important role in providing infrastructure and trained manpower to establish an ISTA accredited lab which private seed companies can utilise as a whole.

Director General FSC & RD Syed Nasir Shah said that certified seed production should be increased within the country and that accreditation of ISTA lab will ensure more availability of certified labs. He also promised to collaborate with UAF in future. A stakeholder seed meeting was organised at the end of the workshop where representative of Crop Life Pakistan Dr Asif Ali asked the seed companies to create discipline in the business and requested the government authorities to implement national seed policy. Dr Ali highlighted that seed is a basic industry and a little investment can go a long way in ensuring certified seed availability which may increase by 50 per cent.

Managing Director Emkay Seeds Sajjad Malik, representing national seed companies, also highlighted major seed issues like the lack of authorised provision to basic seed production, dearth of intellectual property rights, the lack of plant breeder’s right which was hindering with the development of new varieties, little or no appropriate seed testing and seed research, sale of seed at low rates and neglect of vegetables and high valued crops.

Ahad from Sohni Dharti highlighted the issue of germplasm import for evaluation which takes a lot of time. The house hoped that the Ministry of National Food Security and Research will take the initial steps to solve the problems.