Bangladesh amends the Seed Rules of 2020

On August 27, 2023, the Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture issued a special regulatory order amending the Bangladesh Seed Rules of 2020. The previous Seed Rules of 2020 stipulated under Rule 11, Sub-rule 5 that "A private seed dealer would be eligible to apply for the release or registration of crop varieties five years after receiving registration as a seed dealer" (Attachment 1). This provision had posed a significant obstacle for U.S. companies looking to initiate and expand their operations in Bangladesh.

In response to the request from U.S. industry, Post worked with the Ministry of Agriculture to amend the Seed Rule. The amendment now allows these companies to release and register their proprietary crop varieties one year after obtaining their dealership registration. Per the amendment of Rule 11, Sub-rule 5, the numeral, bracket, and word "5 (five)" in the original Seed Rule will be substituted with the numeral, bracket, and word "1 (one)"(Attachment 2). This streamlined process not only accelerates the pace of entry into the Bangladeshi market but also enables these companies to bring their innovative agricultural solutions to farmers more swiftly.

Crop Variety Registration

This amendment also states that seed dealers are not allowed to change the names of the crop varieties they've registered or released. Per the amendment of Rule 11, Sub-rule 4, ″No seed dealer shall convert the registered or released name of their registered or released crop variety. But, with the permission of the Director General, Seed Division or Secretary of the National Seed Board, may conditionally transfer the variety of the registered crop to another seed dealer″.

Attachments:

Bangladesh Seed Rules-2020 (English).docx
Amendment of Seed Rules-2020 (English).docx

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