Most countries operate quarantine laws to allow inspection at the point of entry of all produce, which might harbour foreign pests; these laws also enforce strict isolation of any species imported for study (e.g. for biological control research). Unfortunately, quarantine normally only postpones the entry of pests, and such entries have become more frequent since the advent of mass air travel. Perhaps propaganda, so that travelers and importers are more aware of the dangers of introducing new pests, is one of the most important components of the quarantine system. Strict and largely successful quarantine as practiced, for example, by Australia, does mean that crop varieties are bred in the absence of some of the most important world pest problems. When such pests eventually arrive, they can cause devastating damage, as the plant breeder will not have checked his high-yielding varieties for susceptibility to these organisms.
Seeds Act, 1966, amended to cover all important facets of the seed industry, can serve the purpose of monitoring and regulating while encouraging the industry to unlock the immense potential of Indian agriculture. As a first step, remove seed and seed industry from the purview of the Essential Commodities Act and Package Commodities Act, Weights & Measures Act. Consumer Protection Act and various other restrictive acts/rules enacted by the State Government. The Seeds Act, 1966 with minor amendments can become a single piece of national legislation to regulate, minor and encourage the seed industry. It covers all the provisions required for the regulation of quality (physical and genetic), packaging, labelling and trade. With the following amendments it can be made the most progressive legislation in the country.
1. Provide for a National Register of Seed Companies registered under the Act. The registration should be based on the simple criteria of investment, infrastructure and skills in the area of production, processing and quality control. 2. Provide for a National Register of Seed Varieties registered under this Act. The system of registration should be the internationally accepted DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability) system. Th4is system should be administered by an independent and autonomous body. 3. Provide for the free movement and sale of all registered varieties. Voluntary Certification for notified varieties should be available for the small-medium companies with inadequate quality monitoring systems.4. Review and update Indian minimum seed standards and make the producer/marketer responsible for the quality standards rather than an inefficient and ineffective compulsory certification system.
5. Upgrade seed testing laboratories to international standards for quality assurance and quality monitoring.If the new Government at the Center is serious about giving top priority to agricultural growth, the above suggested framework of seed policy and legislation could be the first step in the direction of actualizing the national agenda.
Ag.
Technologies
(Pest Mgmt.)
