1. Presentation outline
• Present seed system in Bangladesh
• Lacunae in the system
• Recommendations for policy

2. High demand for commercial seed
across income groups
47
52
88
100
51
43
50
31
35
89 87
51
59
46
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Aman rice Boro rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oilseeds Potato
Percent
Proportion of farmers who purchased seed, 2011-12
Poorest 20% Richest 20%
Source: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)

3. High rates of modern variety adoption
25 11 94 86 71 35
73 89
100
6 14
29
65
2
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Aman rice Boro rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oilseeds Potato
Percent
Proportion of farmers using traditional varieties,
modern varieties and hybrids, 2011-12
Modern variety Hybrid Traditional varieties
Source: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)

4. 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

5. Rapid growth in private sector participation
79 21 6 94 41 59 11 89
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Boro rice Maize Potato Vegetables
Percentage
Proportion of commercial seed distributed by
public and private sectors in 2011-12
Public sector Private sector
Source: Authors, based on data from Seed Wing,
Ministry of Agriculture

6. Significant private investment in
introduction of new products
116 116
0
1064
1500
1000
500
0
1971-93 1994-2012
Number
Registered vegetable cultivars
Public
Private
5
19
0
98
150
100
50
0
1971-93 1994-2012
Number
Registered maize varieties and hybrids
Public
Private
3
89
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1994-2012
Number
Registered rice hybrids
Public
Private
Source: Authors, based on SCA’s approved list of varieties

7. Private distribution and marketing
51
60
54
14
6
46 47
54
48
39
43
85 86
53 53
45
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Aus rice Aman rice Boro rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oilseeds Potato
Percent
Farmers’ sources of seed, 2011-12
Own/gift Seed dealer/pvt shop BADC outlet
Source: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)

8. 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)

9. 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

10. 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
Average age of top 5 rice varieties under cultivation, by farmers’
landholding size
21 20 20
19
20
15
10
5
0
Marginal Small Medium Large
Years
Landholding size
Source: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)

11. Crowding-out effects of BADC
– BADC production of certified and truthfully
labeled seed for non-notified crops increasing
despite 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

12. Limited reach of extension services
6.5
4.8
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Visited by DAE
worker
Received advice
on seed
Percent
Share of farmers who received
advice on seed from DAE
Share of farmers received advice
1.4
on seed from DAE
5.5
8.8
11.2
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Marginal Small Medium Large
Percent
Landholding size
Source: Authors, based on data from Ahmed (2013)

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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