The government has decided to amend the 1976 Seed Act to make the legislation more effective, encompassing present day requirements like attracting private sector investment and making it compatible with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime.
Sources told Business Recorder on Saturday that a summary would be moved by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Minfa) for the next meeting of the Cabinet. The Seed Act, 1976 was enacted by the parliament to provide sound base to the seed industry of Pakistan.
It was based on the establishment of requisite infrastructure in the public sector only, but with the changing scenario, the emerging seed industry was unable to meet the requirements of the private sector, consequently, following provisions are proposed to be made in the existing Seed Act, 1976, the sources added. Giving details of the proposals, he said the Minfa was seeking the following changes in the 1976's Seed Act:
-- Renaming the department to meet legal proceedings in the court, and addition of more compatible definitions of various terms.
-- Registration of private sector companies, seed dealers and seed processing units to settle the arising legal disputes.
-- Access to pre-basic seed to the private sector, provision for which did not exist before.
-- Training of private seed sector personnel, especially to work tinder the WTO regime.
-- Enhancement of penalties/fines for effective seed enforcement.
-- Promotion of research in seed science and technology to strengthen seed industry and the research-based regulatory mechanism.
-- Restriction on sale of unapproved/banned varieties and effective control of various cheating practices through the provision of misbranding clause
-- Establishment of accredited seed testing laboratories in public as well as in private sector.
-- Establishment of Federal Seed Committee and Variety Evaluation Committee.
While sharing the importance of the proposed changes in the existing seed act, he said that the amendments had been proposed to make the seed legislation more effective to encompass present day requirements and to make it compatible with the WTO regime. The authorisation for amendments to the Seed Act of 1976 was obtained from the provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP. He said that the Federal Cabinet of the previous government, in its meeting held on August 1, 2007 gave its approval. However, the bill could not be taken up by the former National Assembly as its constitutional tenure came to an end.
The private sector and multinationals in the absence of Seed Amendment Bill said it was difficult to undertake investment in the seed sector; consequently "we will be constrained to rely on extremely costly import of seeds to meet the local demand of the farmers." The Cabinet is requested to authorise Law and Justice Division for placing the "Draft Seed Amendment Bill 2009" before the parliament for enactment in terms of the advice tendered by the Law Division. He added that Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal had seen and authorised submission of the summary.
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