Quality seed production not increasing
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard
THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022
THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
Quality seed production not increasing

Bazaar

Shawkat Ali
14 December, 2021, 10:50 am
Last modified: 14 December, 2021, 01:11 pm

Related News

  • Carbon farming: Climate change solution or greenwashing?
  • Adaptive cropping systems can produce higher yields on char lands: Study
  • Our farmlands are disappearing fast. Compact housing can be a solution 
  • Govt urged to reduce export-import gap in agro-products
  • Addressing food security and climate change through regenerative agriculture

Quality seed production not increasing

The private sector is leading in producing quality seeds

Shawkat Ali
14 December, 2021, 10:50 am
Last modified: 14 December, 2021, 01:11 pm
TBS Infograph
TBS Infograph

Highlights –

  • Supply of quality seeds is less than one fourth of demand
  • State-owned BADC's growth in seed production is 3.78% in 11 years
  • BADC officials say their workforce is 46% less than needed
  • BADC supplies 11.50% of total seed demand
  • 203 of 218 hybrid Boro variety is registered by private sector
  • Over 95% hybrid seeds come from private sector

The supply of quality seed, which plays a vital role in better yields in farming, is below one fourth of the total demand.

A number of private organisations are coming forth with producing quality seeds, while the state-owned Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) is lagging way behind.

The BADC has seen a growth of only 3.78% in quality seed production in the past 11 years. 

According to agriculture ministry and BADC sources, yearly demand of seeds for the production of various crops is nearly 13 lakh tonnes. This demand is met with seeds of three categories – formal, semi-formal and informal.

Supply of seeds under the formal category is 23%, which is regularly tested for quality control before it reaches farmers through BADC and the private sector. Although there is a massive demand for good quality seeds, there has been no significant growth in its production in the past five years.  

Seeds under the semi-formal category account for 39% of supply. Although some testing is done for seeds of this category, these mostly remain outside supervision. Suppliers of semi-formal seeds are mainly the private sector and the farmers themselves.

The remaining 38% come from the informal sector. Farmers from around the country store these seeds from their produced crops and sell some of them. There is no initiative by the government to control the quality of these seeds.

For his part, BADC Member Director Md Mostafizur Rahman said, "Seed production is gradually increasing despite many limitations. Our workforce is 46% less than what we need and we are doing more than our ability."

However, according to agriculture ministry sources, the BADC in the past 11 years managed to increase 3.78% of seed production. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, it produced 1,49,502 tonnes of seed, which in the 2010-11 fiscal was 1,44,065 tonnes. In between, production was high in some years while it was low in others.

The BADC supply accounts for only 11.50% of the total demand, which people associated with the industry think should be higher.  BADC supply includes seeds of Aush, Amon and Boro paddy varieties, wheat, corn, potato, pulses, oil, jute, vegetables and spices. Of all the seeds, BADC focuses the most on producing seeds of paddy.

Dr Md Akhtar Hossain Khan, chief agronomist of the seed wing of the agriculture ministry, told The Business Standard, "We are focusing on quality seeds. We are working on taking the level of production to 25% by the year 2030."

On the other hand, in the production of vegetable seeds, the private company Lal Teer is leading with a yearly production of 1,000 tonnes, whereas BADC produces only 115 tonnes.

The private sector is also ahead in promoting hybrid seed varieties. During the Boro season, farmers use nearly 18,000 tonnes of hybrid seeds, of which BADC has supplied 1360 tonnes. The rest of the supply came from the private sector.

According to data from private companies, 203 of the 218 hybrid Boro varieties are registered by the private sector.

ACI Managing Director and CEO Dr F H Ansari said, "The private sector is supplying over 95% of hybrid seeds. It is doing more research on quality seed production and is ahead for obvious reasons."

Among the seed supplier companies, Lal Teer, Brac, Supreme Seed, ACI, Petrocom, Aftab Bahumukhi, Ispahani Agro, Mollika Seed and National Agricare are doing well, according to Bangladesh Seed Association data. Besides, multinational companies CropScience and Syngenta are producing seeds as well.  

 

Economy / Top News

Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) / agriculture / seed / Hybrid seed

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Nearly 58% hike in bulk power price on cards
    Nearly 58% hike in bulk power price on cards
  • Illustration: TBS
    Let taka slide
  • Inflation jumps to 6.29% in April
    Inflation jumps to 6.29% in April

MOST VIEWED

  • Onion prices need to be fixed to protect both consumers, farmers: Tipu Munshi 
    Onion prices need to be fixed to protect both consumers, farmers: Tipu Munshi 
  • Photo: Collected
    No barrier in wheat import from India: Tipu Munshi
  • Urban areas are already emerging as the new poverty frontier. Photo: Mumit M/TBS
    TCB truck sales apparently draw to a close
  • Mango starts appearing in Rajshahi markets
    Mango starts appearing in Rajshahi markets
  • File photo of onions. Picture: Mumit M/TBS
    Onion price goes up by Tk12 kg in Satkhira
  • File Photo: Rehman Asad/TBS
    Onion price spirals despite adequate stock

Related News

  • Carbon farming: Climate change solution or greenwashing?
  • Adaptive cropping systems can produce higher yields on char lands: Study
  • Our farmlands are disappearing fast. Compact housing can be a solution 
  • Govt urged to reduce export-import gap in agro-products
  • Addressing food security and climate change through regenerative agriculture

Features

‘The geopolitical landscape is undergoing profound change, Dhaka needs to craft proactive strategies’

‘The geopolitical landscape is undergoing profound change, Dhaka needs to craft proactive strategies’

19h | Interviews
Graphics: TBS

Facebook and Bangladeshi politicians: A new tide in mass political communication?

20h | Panorama
Despite Bangladesh having about 24,000 km of waterways, only a few hundred kilometres are covered by commercial launch services. Photo: Saad Abdullah

Utilising waterways: When common home-goers show the way

1d | Panorama
Illustration: TBS

How Putin revived Nato

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Cannes Film Festival 2022 resumes after 2 years

Cannes Film Festival 2022 resumes after 2 years

8h | Videos
Pension is coming for all

Pension is coming for all

8h | Videos
Bakery business in crisis for increased raw material prices

Bakery business in crisis for increased raw material prices

10h | Videos
Foods that have the most protein

Foods that have the most protein

10h | Videos

Most Read

1
Representative Photo: Pixabay.
Bangladesh

Microplastics found in 5 local sugar brands

2
Mushfiq Mobarak. Photo: Noor-A-Alam
Panorama

Meet the Yale professor who anchors his research in Bangladesh and scales up interventions globally

3
The story of Bangladesh becoming a major bicycle exporter
Industry

The story of Bangladesh becoming a major bicycle exporter

4
How Bangladesh can achieve edible oil self-sufficiency with local alternatives
Bazaar

How Bangladesh can achieve edible oil self-sufficiency with local alternatives

5
Govt tightens belt to relieve reserve
Economy

Govt tightens belt to relieve reserve

6
PK Halder: How a scamster rose from humble beginnings to a Tk11,000cr empire
Crime

PK Halder: How a scamster rose from humble beginnings to a Tk11,000cr empire

The Business Standard
Top
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Bangladesh
  • International
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Economy
  • Sitemap
  • RSS

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net

Copyright © 2022 THE BUSINESS STANDARD All rights reserved. Technical Partner: RSI Lab