LAHORE – Counterfeit seeds pose a significant challenge, undermining food security and hurting growers.
Stakeholders have stressed the need to use certified seeds of reputable companies to enhance crop yields and ensure food security for ever ever-increasing population.
“There is a need to use certified seeds for getting far more yields as compared with the increase in the input cost”, said Gerard Eysink, Regional Head of Vegetable Seeds at Syngenta, while talking to a group of journalists.
Farmers, especially in climate-vulnerable areas, are increasingly focused on output rather than input costs.
“While policy has traditionally focused on major crops in most of the countries, now vegetables are gaining recognition for their role in food security. Hybrid vegetable seeds provide far better yields and important traits like shelf life, colour and taste”, said Mr Eysink.
He praised the Pakistan government for new regulations in the seed sector, which will bring improvements in the agriculture sector.
“Plant Variety Protection (PVP) regulations have already been approved. Implementation of these regulations is the next crucial step which will boost access to global hybrid seed technology for Pakistani farmers, attract increased investment in the agricultural sector and strengthen innovation in agriculture, particularly in vegetable crops”, he said, while praising the government for engaging stakeholders and exploring regulatory improvements particularly hybrids registration process and improvement in R&D seed import conditions.
He said that seed production ranks among Syngenta’s top three priorities for the region. Syngenta already runs R&D trial stations in Pakistan and has dedicated staff and facilities for vegetable seed operations.
