Seed law overhaul sets up new national regulator

The federal government has enacted the Seed (Amendment) Act, 2024, introducing wide-ranging changes to Pakistan's seed regulatory framework and establishing a new national authority to address long-standing structural weaknesses in the sector.

According to an official statement issued on Saturday, the legislation was introduced in response to fragmented seed policies, limited regulatory capacity, outdated certification systems, and restricted access to improved and climate-resilient seed varieties. The law created the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority (NSDRA) as a specialised body responsible for regulatory oversight, varietal development and ensuring the supply of genetically true-to-type seed.

As part of the transition, the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC&RD) has been merged into NSDRA. The restructuring involved rightsizing and reallocation of staff, with an emphasis on technical expertise and operational efficiency. Officials said the changes were aimed at creating a performance-based authority operating across the seed value chain.

Digitalisation has been made a core feature of the new regulatory setup. An MIS-based system has been introduced to track seed sector activities from registration to market monitoring. The system covers registration and renewal of seed companies, approval of crop varieties, registration of nurseries and seed processing units, fruit plant certification, seed testing and market surveillance.

The Truth in Labelling Scheme has also been notified and implemented, introducing performance-linked compliance requirements intended to improve transparency and accountability within the market.

On the policy front, NSDRA has submitted drafts of the National Seed Policy 2025 and the Agriculture Biotechnology Policy 2025. Crop-specific strategies have also been prepared. Enforcement measures taken during the transition include the cancellation of registrations of 430 seed companies found to be non-compliant. A new categorisation framework has been introduced to assess companies based on research capacity and technology use.

The authority has developed internationally aligned certification protocols for olive, mango and citrus crops. It has also regulated the interprovincial movement of 221,731 metric tons of wheat seed to support the availability of certified seed across provinces. Officials said these measures contributed to higher seed replacement rates, including 67% in Sindh during the current Rabi season.

Research coordination has been strengthened through the digital reactivation of the Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC). During fiscal year 2024-25, the committee approved 208 improved crop varieties covering major cereals, oilseeds, fodder and horticultural crops. A dedicated fund disbursement mechanism has been introduced to support timely varietal trials.

NSDRA has also facilitated the import of elite germplasm from international research centres, including CGIAR institutions such as CIMMYT. Consultations with provincial research heads were held on December 3, 2025, to develop a unified national roadmap for varietal research and development.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research said reforms would continue, with a focus on regulatory enforcement, institutional coordination and improved farmer access to certified seed to support agricultural productivity and food security.