Islamabad: The Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research held its fifth meeting today on Friday the 13th September, 2024 at 11:30 am in the Committee Room 02 of the Parliament House, Islamabad under the Chairmanship of Syed Tariq Hussain, MNA.
The meeting commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran, after which the minutes from the previous two meetings and recommendations were deferred.
Following that, the Secretary of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research provided a briefing to the Committee on the Seed (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The Committee was informed that the Seed Act of 1976 and its subsequent amendment in 2015 were enacted following resolutions from the provincial assemblies and approvals as required by Article 144 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Committee reached a unanimous decision, directing the Ministry to send a letter to the provinces today and request their feedback within 10 days, considering that agriculture is a provincial matter after the 18th Amendment and is not included in the Federal Legislative List. The Committee believed that effective implementation of this legislation would require prior consultation with the provinces.
The Committee further explored the Seed (Amendment) Bill, 2024, considering the input and concerns of the Ministry and its affiliated departments. The Ministry suggested that the Minister for National Food Security and Research should head the Authority, rather than the Prime Minister, due to the Minister’s direct involvement and the Prime Minister’s broader range of responsibilities. They also proposed that the Authority should include representatives from provincial Ministers, in addition to the Secretaries.
The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) advised that the Authority’s role should be limited to regulatory functions and not include development tasks, as managing both roles within a single entity could be ineffective. Furthermore, PARC recommended that the Chairman of the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority should ideally hold a PhD in agriculture or a related field and have at least 20 years of experience. They emphasized that breeding is a research-based work best managed by the experts within the relevant departments.
The Ministry indicated that there are certain overlaps between the Plant Breeder Rights Act, 2016 and the Seed (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Consequently, the Committee instructed the Ministry to re-examine the Seed (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and directed the Secretary to engage with all relevant stakeholders prior to the next meeting.
The Committee also raised concerns about counterfeit seed sales in Pakistan. The Ministry informed the Committee that a high-level inquiry commission has been formed to investigate the issue and is expected to submit its findings within four days. The Chairman directed the Ministry to provide the Committee with a copy of this report for inclusion in the Sub-Committee’s examination of counterfeit seeds, which is overseen by MNA Rana Muhammad Hayat. Additionally, the Ministry was requested to furnish a detailed report on the Seed Certification Process, including information on the number of registered companies, the volume of seeds these companies are permitted to import, and other pertinent details.
The meeting was attended by the following Hon. Members of the Standing Committee: Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, MNA; Mr. Nadeem Abbas, MNA; Chaudhary Iftikhar Nazir, MNA; Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, MNA; Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Behan, MNA; Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Sheerazi, MNA; and Mr. Keso Mal Kheal Das, MNA.
The senior officers from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and other attached departments were also present in the meeting.
