No to overreliance on imported seeds

It is disheartening to see that farmers, beyond the difficulty of getting access to enough fertilisers, are facing another formidable challenge: control over the very seeds they plant. The country is heavily dependent on imported seeds supplied by private companies, which reportedly provide around 60 to 100 percent of seeds for major crops including hybrid paddy, maize, jute, and vegetables. Any disruption in seed imports, therefore, could have a huge impact on agriculture, much like the energy crisis we are facing due to overdependence on imported fuel.

Against this backdrop, farmers can preserve only a small quantity of seeds and are increasingly dependent on private companies for supplies. Hybrid seeds also need to be stored in sophisticated facilities under controlled temperatures—facilities that farmers generally do not have access to.

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It is true that Bangladesh has had to resort to higher-yielding imported hybrid varieties to meet rising demand. Higher yields usually mean higher profits for farmers. But what we are losing due to our overdependence on hybrid varieties is indigenous seed varieties, which are easier to preserve even though they generally produce lower yields. Indigenous seeds are crucial because they help protect biodiversity, build climate resilience, and empower smallholder farmers. Having evolved over centuries, local varieties can withstand harsh conditions such as droughts, floods and high soil salinity. Women farmers, in particular, have preserved local seeds for generations, including varieties that can grow without expensive chemical fertilisers or pesticides. For small farming households, native seeds can keep production costs low while providing greater independence and financial stability.

There are examples of how some countries have suffered from overdependence on imported seeds, with supply disruptions resulting in reduced production of essential crops, affecting their food security. Our seed policy should, therefore, focus equally on farmers’ rights and autonomy over their crops. This requires greater support for smallholder farmers so that they can preserve indigenous seed varieties and pass them on to future generations. Farmers must also be protected from practices that allow private companies to use patent rules to restrict their ability to save seeds or breed new varieties.

The need to ensure food security, however, makes hybrid varieties a necessity that we cannot wish away. Therefore, Bangladesh must also strengthen the relevant public institutions to further develop high-yielding hybrid varieties and boost local production. The government can ease regulatory constraints to encourage joint ventures with countries that possess the necessary technology, with the aim of eventually developing independent local producers. This would considerably reduce prices, benefiting farmers. It is a stark injustice that the people whose arduous labour feeds the country face economic uncertainty and lack autonomy over the production of their crops. This must change—for the sake of farmers, our food security, and that of future generations.