Additional Secretary Agriculture (Planning) Punjab Dr Ghazanfar Ali Khan has asked the Seed Association of Pakistan (SAP) to submit a detailed proposal on how to reduce dependency on imported seed by ensuring technology transfer and encouraging local production.
The Additional Secretary gave these directions while speaking at an important meeting of all the stakeholders of seed sector held at the agriculture house here on Tuesday to develop a mechanism for reducing dependency on importing seeds for different crops.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guard Agricultural Research & Services Shahzad Ali Malik while speaking at the meeting proposed the department that it should announce incentives for those companies who are producing seed of different crops locally. 'If it is not possible then all the companies who are importing should be asked to produce 20-30 percent of their total import locally and then gradually go for 100 percent local production in next seven to 10 years,' Malik added.
He said that those companies who fail in achieving this target should be penalized through higher tariff on their imports. He regretted that it is a very late decision by the government but still good that the transfer of seed technology has been included in the priorities of the department.
While wrapping up the meeting, the Additional Secretary Agriculture directed the Seed Association of Pakistan (SAP)'s Chairman to work in detail on the proposal in collaboration with Shahzad Malik to fine tune it and make it practicable.
Sources privy to this meeting said that although use of hybrid seeds in Pakistan is increasing day by day for raising crops like maize, sunflower, and few vegetable crops but there is need for domestic hybrid seed production in the country.
There is a need for evaluating feasibility of production of hybrid seeds in the country along with cost benefit prospects. Over-dependence on heavy imports of hybrid seeds has put seed security of Pakistan on fragile grounds, sometimes imported seeds are not adapted to local environment and result in crop failures, cost of imported hybrid seeds is high and lot of foreign exchange is spent on seed imports.
The meeting discussed seed import issues, technology transfer for seed production, issues being faced in local seed production and to develop some way forward for reducing dependency on imported seed.
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