National Seed Policy.

The National Seed Policy is a national sectoral policy which aims at making best quality seeds of improved varieties of crops available to farmers with a view to increasing crop production, farmer’s productivity, per capita farm income and export earnings. The specific objectives of the Policy cover breeding, developing and maintaining improved crop varieties with special emphasis on those suitable for high-input and high-output agriculture, as well as multiplying and distributing to all farmers sufficient quantities of quality seed of improved high yielding varieties that are resistant or tolerant to disease and insect pests.
The Policy aims at enabling more inclusive and efficient agricultural systems. To this end, it sets out measures for: a) strengthening the institutional capacity of the public and private sector entities engaged in the seed industry; b) modernizing and adapting seed technology to meet the needs of high-input and high-output agriculture; c) promoting balanced development of the seed sector by providing equitable opportunities to the public and private sector at all stages of the seed industry; d) simplifying procedures for import of high quality seeds and planting materials both by public and private sectors to enable farmers to have access to the best quality materials; e) strengthening seed certification, quality control and testing facilities to ensure availability of quality seeds to farmers; f) simplifying procedures for effective observance of plant quarantine. Restrictions on importation of seeds, except for appropriate plant quarantine safeguards, will be eliminated. The National Agricultural Research System (NARS) will continue to pursue plant breeding programmes for all crops of national importance. The document promotes the importation of improved varieties of seeds and planting materials. Private persons, companies and other agencies will be encouraged to undertake plant breeding programmes. Technical assistance, training and services will be made available to the private sector. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) will use farmers to multiply seeds on a contract basis. Seed certification will be a service provided to private individuals, companies or public agencies. By requiring seeds in labeled containers and packages to meet the standards specified on the label, seed quality will be ensured. The business of seed breeding, multiplication, production, processing, import and marketing will be supported.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and the National Agricultural Research System will be required to maintain small stocks of improved varieties of rice, wheat and jute seeds, so that seed of superior quality will be available for distribution when when natural disasters occur, and seed supplies in an area are lost.
The National Seed Board (NSB) will be strengthened through necessary amendments in the Seed Laws to establish it as the highest authority. A Seed Wing will be established in the Ministry of Agriculture, primarily to serve as a Secretariat for the NSB. Management and operational responsibility will be given to the Seed Wing for seed security stocks with budget allocation. To facilitate the implementation of the new Seed Policy, the Seed Certification Agency (SCA) will be strengthened. The Department of Agricultural Extension will be responsible for promoting newly evolved superior crop varieties.