Seed supply far below requirement
The public and private sectors of Bangladesh have made strides in supplying farmers with quality seeds of vegetables and food grains over the last one-and-a-half decade.
But progress in the supply of standard oilseeds and pulses have been sluggish amid a lack of interest among formal agencies.
Today, firms mainly from the private sector supply 100 per cent of the high yielding and hybrid seeds of vegetables. In case of rice and maize, the ratio of supply of improved seeds is 65 per cent and 74 per cent respectively.
As a result of the increased supply of seeds of major crops by public and private agencies, the overall supply of quality seeds grew two-and-a-half times to 32 per cent in fiscal year 2021-22 from 13 per cent in fiscal year 2005-06, according to estimates by the agriculture ministry.
However, the supply of ooilseeds to produce edible oil, for which Bangladesh largely depends on imports, is 17 per cent against a demand of 3,657 tonnes.
In case of pulses, which is mostly imported as well, the rate of supply of quality seeds against a demand of 3,370 tonnes is 13 per cent, the data showed.
"It is related to the need of farmers who are not that much interested to grow pulses as one of the main crops. This is why the private sector has not shown interest," said FH Ansarey, managing director and CEO of ACI Agribusinesses, a concern of ACI Group.
The same is true for oilseeds, he added.
Ansarey then said farmers mainly grow rice and crops that provide higher yields and good returns.
But the yields and returns from pulses and oilseed crops are low, so they cannot compete.
"The market is very small and less attractive. So, none has taken interest so far," said Ansarey of ACI, the largest seed seller in the country in terms of turnover.
He went on to say that the ACI is including mustard in its research programmes for developing improved varieties.
Bangladesh requires 12.45 lakh tonnes for various crops, including cereals and potato, and formal sector suppliers can cater more than 400,000 tonnes.
And private companies supply more than half of the seeds to farmers, the Bangladesh Seed Association (BSA) said at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday.
The BSA organised the press meet to announce a three-day seed conference, themed "Bangladesh Seed Congress", beginning tomorrow at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka.
The BSA said private companies supply 97 per cent of the hybrid rice seeds and 86 per cent of the vegetable seeds used by farmers.
The association also said the seed sector has become an industry with 7,000 seeds sellers engaged in the production, import and marketing of seeds among farmers.
Anwar Farque, chief coordinator of the Seed Congress, said the private sector can now supply 90 per cent of the locally produced hybrid seeds, which once had to be imported.
The private sector has developed more than 100 improved varieties of vegetable seeds through their research and development.
However, progress in the production of oilseeds and pulses has been sluggish as the demand for the seeds among farmers is low, he added.
Faruque, a former agriculture secretary, said the government should increase its focus on developing and distributing high yielding varieties of seeds of these crops by engaging public sector entities and providing support to farmers, such as providing low-cost funds.
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