SEED CERTIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION PROCESS IN PAKISTAN

A LECTURE BY

MR. ALLAH DAD KHAN

SEED REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEM IN PAKISTAN

The seed system was given legal coverage through promulgation of Seed Act, 1976. Necessary institutional infrastructure was established as under:-

1. National Seed Council (NSC) at Federal Level. 2. Provincial Seed Councils (PSC) at each provincial level. 3. Federal Seed Certification Department (FSCD).

4. National Seed Registration Department (NSRD).

Under the economic austerity measures, the FSCD and NSRD were merged together during 1997 and the new organization has been designated as Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department (FSC&RD).

What is Seed Certification Seed certification is a quality assurance

system whereby seed intended for marketing is subject to official control and inspection. At its simplest, the system certifies that a sack, packet or box of seed contains what it says on the label and that the seed was produced, inspected and graded, in accordance with the requirements of a Certification Scheme.

Objectives of Seed Certification

The immediate objective of seed certification is to supply high quality seed to farmers and other growers, which is true to identity, high in purity and germination capacity and free from certain pests and diseases. Seed quality is most important in crop production, as high quality seed is essential for good crop yields and good returns, and minimises the likelihood of crop failure

Purpose of Seed Certification

The purpose shall be to maintain and make available to the public, through seed certification, high quality seeds and propagating materials or varieties so grown and distributed as to maintain high quality, varietal purity and identity

Off-type: means any seed or plant not a part of the

variety in that it deviates in one or more characteristics from the variety as described and may include: a seed or plant of another variety; a seed or plant not necessarily any variety; a seed or plant resulting from cross pollination by another kind or variety; a seed or plant resulting from uncontrolled self pollination during production of hybrid seed; or segregates from any of the above

Other Varieties: shall be considered to include plants or

seeds of the same kind that can be differentiated from the variety that is being inspected, but shall not include variations which are environmental or characteristic of the variety as defined by the originating breeder.

Source