Seed Value Chain Developed & Recommended For Pakistan's Vegetables Seed Industry.

High quality seed is the basic requirement of crop improvement in general and in vegetables in particular. But at the moment, coherent public and private sectors efforts are lacking for developing a reliable seed production and supply chain systems. If vegetable seed production process could gain popularity in the rural and semi-urban areas of the country, it will increase the income of seed growers, generate new employment opportunities and thus ultimately reduce poverty.  In addition to meeting vegetable seed requirements within the country, there are market opportunities abroad also. A large number of farmers produce vegetable seed for their own use, which is usually impure, rapidly loses viability due to inappropriate packing and may be infested with seed borne problems. However, serious efforts are required to be made to estimate and report the quantities of vegetable seed being produced by the private sector.

 

 Pakistan has high potential for vegetable cultivation because of its varied agro-climatic conditions. The diversity of climate allows the cultivation of a wide range of temperate, tropical and subtropical vegetable crops. Nevertheless, this potential has not been exploited due to non-availability of quality vegetable seed at reasonably affordable prices. Most seed requirements are met through imports from abroad. For exploitation of this potential area, the World Vegetable Center/Agriculture Innovation Programme, Pakistan initiated a large scale vegetable seed production programme with the objective to; increase national vegetable seed production and supply at local level.

 

For this purpose, 5 research institutes in public sector, 2 seed companies/dealers and a seed growers association were selected in the private sector as part of the vegetable value chain activities. In the year 2014-15, the implementation of Value Chain was started and a total of 14,446kg seed was obtained from the total area of 15.6 hectares. Out of which, the seed quantities of onion, tomato, chili, okra and peas were 1725, 18, 5140, 3555 and 4008kg respectively. The seeds were packed in nice pouches, cloth and jute bags with USAID/AIP and partner’s brand labels. In this chain, varieties were selected according to the market choice, consumers’ preferences and regional suitability. In onion; varieties Swat 1, Phulkara, Sariab Red, Chiltan 89 and Nasar Puri while in peas; varieties Climax, Meteor and Peas 2009 and in okra, varieties Swat Green, Sabz Pari and Arka Anamika were planted . In tomato; variety Naqeeb and in chili; variety Dandicut was planted for seed production. On the basis of a single production and marketing cycle, a simple but comprehensive diagram of the seed value chain was developed, which encompasses all the steps right from sowing up to marketing. There are fourteen clear and self-explanatory steps in the diagram. Flow has been shown from one stage to another. The successful completion of this chain cycle right from varietal selection up to marketing was the consequence of regular field visits and bridging strong linkages between producers and seed companies across the country.

 

Marketing of seed was the main hindrance for the growers but they were encouraged to produce more seed. Marketing was started with the plantation of crops. Meetings with seed dealers in the private sector were conducted and they were invited to see the standing crops. The adopted strategy was so successful where all the seed was sold with premium prices. Onion seed was sold @ of Rs. 2500 to 4500 a kg depending upon the geographical region. The farmers of the World

Vegetable Center were extremely happy with the prices they got said Mian Zada, President, Shuga Seed Growers Association, District Bunir, KP. Peas seed was sold @ of Rs. 125-150 and okra seed was sold @ of Rs. 150-250/kg. While whole chili fruits for seed were sold in the open market in Sindh @ of Rs. 180-200/kg. Farmer to farmer seed sale was also practiced successfully by Tayyab Ali Shah, a farmer of World Vegetable Center in Tandlianwala, Faisalabad for marketing his seed. 

 

Capacity building is the integral part of Vegetable Value Chain. A series of crop management and postharvest handling and marketing trainings were imparted to 837 male and female beneficiaries in GB, Punjab, Sindh, KP and Balochistan. Farmers were also trained on packing and pouch sealing. For escalating the seed production work in future, the production policy and marketing strategy would further be strengthened and diversified through enhanced linkages between all the stakeholders involved in the vegetable value chain across the country.

 

In order to achieve the standards fixed by the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSCRD), Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Cooperatives, Islamabad, for quality seed production, a maximum isolation distance of 1600 meters is ensured to avoid cross pollination among different varieties. However, high standard and uniformity cannot be achieved through ensuring isolation only. A severe rouging is also done in the presence of an FSCRD representative.