Setting up seed council, certification, Registration Agencies: Sindh agriculture department sends amended acts to law department

Sindh Agriculture department will establish Provincial Seed Council, Seed Certification Agency, Registration Agency and other institutions after the approval of amended acts of Federal Government, Business Recorder learnt. After devolution of Federal Agriculture and Food Ministry, Sindh Agriculture department has amended two acts of Federal government regarding Seed and Fertiliser which have been sent to Law department, Business Recorder learnt.
Federal government has devolved remaining seven Ministries to provinces including Agriculture and Food a few days ago. After the passage of 18th Amendment, Federal government has transferred 17 Federal ministries to provinces in three phases.
Sindh Agriculture department has completed its home work in this regard and sent amended acts to provincial Law department a few days ago. Law department will place these amended acts in order of the day of next session of Sindh Assembly for approval of these acts from provincial assembly, sources told. After the approval of Seed Act,1976, Agriculture department will Establish Sindh Seed Council under the Chairmanship of the provincial Minister of Agriculture for performance of such functions as may be entrusted to it under this Act, sources informed.
The functions of the Sindh Seed Council shall be to advise on policy for the development, operation and regulation of the Provincial seed industries, to maintain a watch on the operation of the provisions of this Act, to guide in administrating seed quality control service, to direct initiation of Provincial Seed Projects, to ensure and protect investment in the seed industry, to approve and sanction seed standards, to advise on import of seeds and to assist in developing approved seed production farms, sources further informed.
Besides, Agriculture department will establish Provincial Seed Certification Agency to control the quality of seeds, to register growers in such manner and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, certification of seeds, field inspection of the crops of registered varieties and released varieties, intended for sale as basic seed or certified seed, sampling and testing of seed lots intended for sale in order to ascertain their purity, viability, germination capacity and health status in the prescribed manner, issuing certificates in respect of seed which meet the prescribed standards of particular category of seeds, carrying out post-control trials on pre-basic, basic and certified seeds, sampling and analysing seed lots delivered to the processing plants to establish a basis for the purchase of such lots, arranging training courses for Seed Certification Officer; and providing technical and specialist advice and assistance to the provincial Seed Council in the performance of its functions, sources added.
The Agriculture department will establish provincial Registration Agency for performance of such functions like to conduct pre-registration checking of varieties submitted for the purpose, determining suitability for registration as a variety, providing definitive botanical description of crop varieties and providing information on genetic suitability and adaptability of varieties, sources said. Similarly, the bodies relating to Fertiliser act would also be formed by Sindh Agriculture department, sources concluded.