Addressing Barriers to Rice Seeds Trade between India
and Bangladesh (RISTE)
Project Review Meeting
18th July, 2014, Jaipur
Suresh P Singh
Policy Analyst
Background
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Supported by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Focus on four states in eastern India (Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal)
and Bangladesh
Project goal: To develop an enabling environment to promote seeds trade and
Knowledge-sharing on HYV rice seeds between India and Bangladesh
Project objectives:
1. Understanding of factors that drive demand and flow of HYV rice seeds in
Eastern Indian States and Bangladesh to identify varieties with bilateral trade
potential
2. Understanding of systemic enabling factors and challenges to bilateral
knowledge sharing and trade in seeds between India and Bangladesh,
particularly on HYV rice seeds
3. Influencing changes to policies and practices to facilitate formalisation and
expansion of trade and knowledge-sharing on HYV rice seeds between
Bangladesh and India
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Objective 1: Understanding of factors that drive demand and
flow of HYV rice seeds in Eastern Indian States and Bangladesh
to identify varieties with bilateral trade potential
Activities undertaken:
 Literature review
 15 Farmers’ FGDs (3 in each states in India and 3 in Bangladesh, covered
about 500 farmers);
 Interactions with seed producers;
 Interactions with seed retailers;
 Interactions with seed associations;
 Interactions with research institutions;
 Interactions with government officials
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Focused Group Discussion with Farmers, Jharkhand
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Focused Group Discussion with Farmers, West Bengal
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Focused Group Discussion with Farmers, Bangladesh
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Stakeholders’ Meeting, Patna, Bihar
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Contd…
Major findings
 Demand and flow of HYV rice seeds is driven by
o Timely availability
o Level of awareness on adaptable varieties (however, this is not a
sufficient condition, other factors also have influence on demand/flow)
o Price and affordability
o Distance between villages and retailers’ shop
o Efficiency/inefficiency in certification agencies
o Efficiency/inefficiency in marketing and distribution channels
o Level of private sector engagement (or lack of it)
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Contd…
Major findings
Rice seeds varieties informally traded/used by farmers in Bangladesh and India
identified. These seem to have potential for bilateral trade. These include:
o Indian varieties in Bangladesh: Swarna (lalswarna, guti, sada); Minikit
(Zira Minikit); Swampa; Parijat; Mamun; Somsor; others
o Bangladeshi varieties in India: BR 9; BR 11 (BB 11); BRRI 28; BRRI 29;
others
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Contd…
Outcomes:
 A clear understanding of factors that drive demand and flow of seeds
 A clear understanding of adaptable Bangladeshi and Indian rice seeds
varieties
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Objective 2: Understanding of systemic enabling factors and
challenges to bilateral knowledge sharing and trade in seeds
between India and Bangladesh, particularly on HYV rice seeds
Activities undertaken:
 Literature review
 Interactions with seed producers and retailers;
 Interactions with seed associations;
 Interactions with research institutions;
 Interactions with government officials, including certification and
quarantine agencies
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Meeting with Seed Dealer, Bangladesh
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Meeting with Bangladesh Seed Association, Dhaka
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Contd…
Major findings
 Challenges (institutions, laws, policies, regulations and practices) to bilateral
knowledge sharing and trade
o HYV rice seed, a notified crop
o Lack of understanding on knowledge sharing and trade
o Lack of harmonisation in seed laws, regulation and policies
o Issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights
o Apprehension of local stakeholders (fear of external dependence)
o Industry’s fear of market capturing by other party
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Contd…
Major findings
 Enabling factors with potential to promote knowledge sharing and trade
o Adaptability of Indian HYV rice seeds in Bangladesh and vice versa
o Wider preference and acceptability of Bangladeshi variety rice seeds in
India and vice versa
o Wider acceptance of issues and challenges relating to HYV rice seeds
availability and accessibility and acceptance potential for knowledge
sharing and trade by stakeholders
o Progress of SAARC seed bank and member countries efforts towards
harmonisation
o Cooperative political regimes in Bangladesh and India
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Contd…
Outcome:
 Clear understanding of challenges and enabling factors
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Objective 3: Influencing changes to policies and practices to
facilitate formalisation and expansion of trade and knowledgesharing on HYV rice seeds between Bangladesh and India
Activities undertaken:
 Production and dissemination of reports, research papers and articles;
 Five state and national level consultations (4 in India and 1 in Bangladesh);
 International conference at Dhaka (active participation of 110 stakeholders
from varying background);
 Five media briefing workshops (4 in India and 1 in Bangladesh);
 Continuous interaction with stakeholders (government agencies, research
institutions, national and state level seed associations, and others)
Other activities:
 Initiatives to facilitate cooperation between relevant and similar institutions
in both the countries
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International conference in Dhaka, 20-21 December, 2013
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Contd…
Major findings/outreach
 More than 100 media coverages at state and national level published in
national/state print/electronic media;
 Increasing willingness among stakeholders towards knowledge sharing and
trade
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Contd…
Outcomes:
 Stakeholders now seem to be at consensus towards promotion of
knowledge sharing and trade in HYV rice seeds
This is evident from:
 According to a highly reliable source, in a recent meeting of the
government officials, it has been agreed that both the countries should
identify rice varieties for trial across the border. The process of
identification of rice seed varieties is underway.
 According to the same source ‘a final agreement on cross-border trial is
expected to be signed by end of this year (2014)’
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Some missing links …
 Yet to have a clear picture of the magnitude of informal trade
between the two countries
 A better understanding of this would make advocacy and outreach
activities sharper and focused.
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And we hope …
We, the research team (CUTS and Partners) engaged in the implementation of
this project, are highly hopeful that activities undertaken in this project till now
in combination with ongoing advocacy and outreach activities will help the
project achieve its goal:
“To develop an enabling environment to promote seeds trade and
Knowledge-sharing on HYV rice seeds between India and Bangladesh”
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Thank you for your attention
sps@cuts.org
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