ZAHID BAIG

LAHORE: The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) has started provisional registration of dealers desirous to carry out seed business in the province under the provisions of Federal Seed Act to regulate the seed market.

The Federal Government Ministry of Food Security and Research, Islamabad, through an Amendment in Seed Act 1976 (Amended 2015) had allowed the provincial agriculture departments for registration of seed dealers. Now, any person desiring to conduct seed business will have to be registered under Rule 5(1) (a) of Seed (Business Regulation) Rules- 2016, by the Deputy Director Agriculture (Extension) in his respective district, sources in the Punjab Agriculture Department told Business Recorder on Saturday.

Around 15,000 people applied for registration with the provincial agriculture department to carry out seed business. After this, the department wrote to the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC&RD) to issue guidelines to the provincial department for further action.

The FSC&RD in response asked the Punjab Agriculture Department to ensure undertaking from these people that during the period of provisional permission every seed dealer must seek training from the FSC&RD to be eligible for applying for permanent dealership license by the Agriculture (Ext & AR) Department.

After the grant of provisional permission, every seed dealer must update the agriculture department regarding any change in address of the dealer himself or of his business place/shop; keep the provisional permission letter at the shop/place of business all the time; maintain the stock register on daily basis and should have the certificate of dealership of the related seed companies.

Following the receipt of these guidelines, the Directorate General Agriculture (Ext &AR) has directed all the deputy directors agriculture (extension) in the province to start provisional registration process and inform the dealers to follow the instructions as permanent certificate will be issued only to those dealers having good record and training certificate from the FSC&RD.

Director General Agriculture (Ext &AR) Dr Anjum Ali Buttar told Business Recorder that the desirous persons have to pay a one-time fee of Rs 10,000 for registration but the main thrust of both the federal and provincial department is on training of these people so that provision of healthy, quality and disease-free seed could be ensured to the farmers through these dealers. This would also help the department to keep a check on the seed market and regulate it, he concluded.