Illegal seeds flood local markets in absence of monitoring: Study

Insufficient regulatory oversight is contributing to the proliferation of counterfeit and uncertified seeds in the local market, according to the findings of a study.

This is one of the three key findings revealed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under a project titled Feed the Future Bangladesh Agricultural Policy, said the world's premier international development agency in a statement on Sunday.

National-level policies create gaps in the market system ranging from high taxation on imported seed to suppressed market competition due to the subsidization of public seed producers and lack of awareness and access, coupled with poor business practices, constrains the adoption of modern, high-yielding seed varieties by farmers, said the findings.

The study was presented at a technical workshop on National Seed Policy recently held at the InterContinental Dhaka.

A first of its kind, the workshop was attended by experts and leaders from the government, private sector, international development agencies, academic and research institutions, said the USAID.

The study was prepared by conducting the desk research, exploratory workshops, and interviewing key informants across the USAID Feed the Future Zone of Influence (Barishal, Khulna, and Jashore) and Zone of Resilience (Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban), said Faheem Khan, the country lead for the project, while presenting the study at the event.

The project also presented the findings on the state of the current seed policy framework captured through a series of consultations carried out at the national, regional, and community levels.

The project is a five-year initiative with the goal of strengthening the capacity of key agricultural actors and institutions to build inclusive policy systems through collective action. Simultaneously, the project will aid in building resilience among people and systems to foster a well-nourished population, especially women and children.

Speaking at the event, Agriculture Ministry Additional Secretary (Current Charge) Md Abdur Rouf said, “Bangladesh has a lot to brag about in terms of agricultural progress. However, our regulatory approaches are still lagging and specifically a consistent challenge has been implementation of policies. Relevant government agencies have joined together to form committees to update and include important agendas from diverse perspectives into the seed policy.”

Director of Economic Growth Office at USAID Bangladesh Muhammad Khan said, “Inclusivity is a key aspect. When more people representing various sectors of a country are involved, the policymaking process becomes much more equitable.”