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Presentation outline
• Present seed system in Bangladesh
• Lacunae in the system
• Recommendations for policy
High demand for commercial seed across income groups
4752
88
100
5143
50
3135
89 87
5159
46
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Aman rice Boro rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oilseeds Potato
Pe
rce
nt
Proportion of farmers who purchased seed, 2011-12
Poorest 20% Richest 20%Source: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)
High rates of modern variety adoption
73 89
100
6 14
29
65
2
11 9425 86 71 35
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Aman rice Boro rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oilseeds Potato
Pe
rce
nt
Proportion of farmers using traditional varieties, modern varieties and hybrids, 2011-12
Modern variety Hybrid Traditional varietiesSource: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)
Effective seed policy reforms• 1971-1993: formal seed sector under public domain-BADC
• 1977: Seeds Ordinance– Regulation for standards of seed quality
– Stipulates the role and functions of the NSB and SCA
• 1993: National Seed Policy– Liberalization of formal seed market
– Limit of BADC seed production to notified crops only
– Gradual withdrawal of BADC from seed production of non-notified crops
– Alignment of BADC seed prices to better reflect its costs
• 1997, 2005: Seeds (Amendment) Act– Mandatory registration for new varieties of notified and non-notified crops– Only public agencies allowed to undertake variety development of notified crops
• Seed Rules 1998– Relaxation of mandatory requirements for seed certification
– Introduction of truthfully labeled seed marketing
Rapid growth in private sector participation
79 6 41 1121 94 59 890
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Boro rice Maize Potato Vegetables
Pe
rce
nta
ge
Proportion of commercial seed distributed by public and private sectors in 2011-12
Public sector Private sectorSource: Authors, based on data from Seed Wing, Ministry of Agriculture
Significant private investment in introduction of new products
116 1160
1064
0
500
1000
1500
1971-93 1994-2012
Nu
mb
er
Registered vegetable cultivars
Public
Private
519
0
98
0
50
100
150
1971-93 1994-2012
Nu
mb
er
Registered maize varieties and hybrids
PublicPrivate
3
89
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1994-2012N
um
be
r
Registered rice hybrids
Public
Private
Source: Authors, based on SCA’s approved list of varieties
Private distribution and marketing
51
6054
14
6
46 4754
4839
43
85 86
53 53
45
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Aus rice Aman rice Boro rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oilseeds Potato
Pe
rce
nt
Farmers’ sources of seed, 2011-12
Own/gift Seed dealer/pvt shop BADC outlet
Source: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)
Public and private investment in R&D• BRRI, BARI, other BARC institutes continue to invest in R&D
– New abiotic stress tolerance traits in rice (drought, submergence)
– New aman and boro season rice cultivars; new boro hybrids
– The world’s first zinc-enriched rice
– First country in South Asia to start commercial planting of insect-resistant Bt brinjal in 2013
• A few firms are also investing in R&D (esp. vegetable variety development)
• Even NGOs are investing in R&D (BRAC/hybrid rice, maize, vegetables)
But significant challenges ahead
1. Slow varietal turnover rate
2. Crowding-out effect of BADC
3. Limits of complementary investment in extension
4. Weak incentives for private R&D investment
5. Seed quality issues
Slow varietal turnover rate• Average age of top five rice varieties is about 20 years
• High reliance on older modern varieties• BRRI dhan 28 and 29 (20 yrs old!) are the most popular rice boro varieties in all but 1
division
• BRRI dhan 11 (32 yrs old!) is the most popular aman rice variety in 5 divisions
21 20 2019
0
5
10
15
20
Marginal Small Medium Large
Year
s
Landholding size
Average age of top 5 rice varieties under cultivation, by farmers’ landholding size
Source: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)
Crowding-out effects of BADC
– BADC production of certified and truthfully labeled seed for non-notified crops increasingdespite 1993 NSP
– BADC continues seed production in crops where private sector has a well-established advantage e.g., hybrid maize/hybrid veg/ hybrid rice
– BADC continues to price seed below production cost
Limited reach of extension services
6.5
4.8
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Visited by DAEworker
Received adviceon seed
Pe
rce
nt
Share of farmers who received advice on seed from DAE
1.4
5.5
8.8
11.2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Marginal Small Medium Large
Pe
rce
nt
Landholding size
Share of farmers received advice on seed from DAE
Source: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)
Weak incentives for private R&D investment
• Private firms discouraged from conducting R&D on any notified crop (hybrid rice is the exception)
• Plant Variety and Farmers’ Rights Protection Act proposed in 1998 but yet not approved
• Concerns about private sector access to public germplasm
• Limits of public R&D spillovers from rice-centric priorities
Seed quality issues
• Seed Certification Agency has limited point-of-sale inspection capacity
– Only 30 field offices and 6 regional testing laboratories
• BADC has its own quality control system but many private firms lack capacity for quality control
• Punitive provisions for fraudulent seed practices are lenient and are seldom enforced
• Capacity for maintenance breeding at the regional level is low
Recommendations for the future
• Better decision-making tools– High resolution, centrally managed public data on key seed
metrics
• Stronger innovation incentives– More rational variety testing and release process
– Coordination among NARS, SCA, DAE and NSB
– Harmonized regulatory system with neighboring countries
Recommendations for the future
• A level playing field for the private sector– Withdrawal of BADC from competitive parts of the seed market
– Collaborative research and improved access to public germplasm for firms
– Better representation from firms/farmers’ groups on Variety Release Committee
• Stronger seed quality control– point-of-sale inspection and market surveillance, effective fines
• Greater, more effective investment in research and extension
