BACKGROUND
The national seed programme was established in 1984 as the National Seed and Plant Programme (NASEPP) under the Ministry of Agriculture. NASEPP was responsible to produce and supply certified seeds and plants of recommended and released varieties to the farmers.
In 1995, NASEPP was corporatized and instituted as Druk Seed Corporation (DSC) with an additional commercial mandate. As a corporation, DSC was responsible to generate revenue and sustain its operation from its own revenue from the sale of seeds, seedlings and agricultural inputs. However, DSC was not able to generate adequate revenue and could not attain financial sustainability. Therefore, DSC was reverted back to the government as the seed programme in 2010 and renamed as the National Seed Centre (NSC). Currently, the NSC is pursuing both social and commercial responsibilities which were inherited from the erstwhile DSC.
MANDATES
The Centre is mandated to function as the “National Seed Grid” to meet the in-country farmers’ demand for quality certified seeds and plants of recommended and released varieties, and other agricultural inputs including fertilizers and herbicides in adequate quantities at a price affordable to the Bhutanese farmers.
VISION
To be a vibrant, dynamic and sustainable centre ensuring national seed security through production of high-quality seeds and planting materials.
PROGRAMS
The Centre has four important programs that are interlinked to each other and work collaboratively towards fulfilling the mandates and vision of the centre.
1. Inputs and Sales Program (ISP)
The ISP under the National Seed Center focuses on overseeing the import and efficient delivery of agricultural inputs throughout the country. This program ensures that quality seeds and agricultural products are made accessible to farmers at uniform prices, through strong collaborations with international seed companies. The program has to be well-prepared to fulfill import-export protocols and carry out things without hindrances.
The program maintains partnerships with the following international seed companies for the import of quality inputs:
- MS Takii Co. Ltd. (Japan)
- MS Jaiswal Seeds (Siliguri, India)
- MS Green Horizon Nursery (Jammu & Kashmir, India)
- MS Swastik Trading Co. (Siliguri, India)
- MS Bhowmik Enterprise, Assam, India
- MS Corona Seeds Ltd, USA
To maintain uniform pricing across the country and ensure affordability for farmers, the program oversees and coordinates the following financial allocations:
Annual Block Grant for Transportation: This block grant covers free transportation of agricultural inputs, ensuring they reach farmers across various regions, including Dzongkhags and Gewogs. The subsidy covers transportation costs to various points, ensuring that inputs are accessible even in remote areas. However, free transportation is to be mobilized after fulfilling the transportation modality developed by NSC.
Annual Block Grant for Agriculture Sales and Services Representatives (ASSRs): This grant is used to compensate Agriculture Sales and Services Representatives (ASSRs) who play a key role in making agricultural inputs and other produces, including Butachlor to make it accessible to all farmers. Incentive for Sales Representatives: ASSRs are paid a 10% commission on sales for their efforts in promoting and distributing agricultural inputs and seeds. This serves as an incentive to ensure effective sales and outreach.
2. Seed Processing and Quality Program (SPQP)
Seed Processing and Quality Program is one the paramount program under the Centre which solely focuses on the quality aspect of seeds. It plays a pivotal role in ensuring the quality and viability of seeds, which directly impacts agricultural productivity and food security. Seed being one of the important inputs in agriculture determines the success and quantity of production. So, the post-harvest activities are undeniably very important to ensure seed produced are of good quality. SPQP deals with those post-harvest activities like drying (if moisture content is high) for safe storage, processing raw seeds, testing moisture content, physical purity and germination as per the standard set in Minimum Seed Standard of Bhutan 2019 (MSSB) and International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) after receiving seeds from our Farms and Registered Seed Grower (RSG).
Importance of SPQP:
- Ensuring Seed Quality: SPQP implements rigorous quality control measures to ensure that seeds are free from impurities, diseases, and pests. This guarantees that farmers receive healthy and high-quality seeds, leading to better crop yields.
- Maintaining Seed Viability: The program focuses on proper seed storage conditions, including moisture content and temperature control. This helps maintain seed viability and ensures that they germinate successfully when planted.
- Promoting Seed Purity: SPQP conducts purity tests to eliminate off-types and weed seeds. This helps maintain genetic purity and prevents the spread of undesirable traits.
- Adherence to Standards: The program adheres to national (Minimum Seed Standard of Bhutan 2019) and international seed quality standards (International Seed Testing Association, ISTA), ensuring that the seeds meet the required quality parameters.
- Supporting Agricultural Development: By providing quality seeds, SPQP contributes to the overall development of the agricultural sector. It helps farmers adopt improved crop varieties and technologies, leading to increased productivity and income.
SPQP is assisted by three sub-divisions i.e., Seed Processing, Seed Testing and Seed Packing.
i). Seed processing
This division is responsible for the physical preparation of seeds for planting. It involves several steps:
- Cleaning: Seeds are cleaned to remove impurities like dust, chaff, and foreign materials. This is done using various machines like air screen cleaners and gravity separators.
- Grading: Seeds are sorted based on size, weight, and other physical characteristics. This ensures uniformity and improves germination rates.
- Drying: Seeds are dried to reduce moisture content to an optimum level, preventing mold growth and ensuring long-term storage.
- Treatment: Seeds may be treated with fungicides or insecticides to protect them from diseases and pests.
ii). Seed testing
This division conducts laboratory tests to evaluate the quality of seeds. Key tests include:
- Germination Test: This determines the percentage of seeds that can germinate under controlled conditions.
- Purity Test: This assesses the percentage of pure seeds in a sample, excluding weed seeds and other impurities.
- Moisture Content Test: This measures the amount of water in the seeds, which affects storage life and germination.
iii). Seed packing
This division is responsible for packaging seeds for distribution. Key tasks include:
- Packaging Material Selection: Choosing appropriate packaging materials like paper bags, plastic bags, or pouches to protect seeds from moisture, pests, and damage.
- Packaging: Filling the packaging materials with the required quantity of seeds.
- Labelling: Attaching labels to the packages with information like seed variety, germination percentage, expiration date, and storage instructions.
- Storage: Storing the packaged seeds in a cool, dry, and dark place to maintain their quality.By effectively performing these functions, these three divisions contribute to the overall goal of ensuring that farmers receive high-quality seeds, leading to improved crop yields and food security.
3. Biotechnology Program
The plant tissue culture under the national seed centre was introduced way back in the late 1980s. The program was mainly aimed for the rapid multiplication of the seeds and seedlings within a shorter period of time. The program not only produces good quality seedling but also helps in maintaining the true to type of the selective varieties which are under multiplication. With the help of the plant tissue culture facilities, the centre keeps on exploring new commodities which are having high value in line with the national priority fruit plants.
The primary focus of the plant tissue culture is mainly on the seed replacement of the potato crops, also indulge in multiplication of subtropical fruit plants like cardamom and bananas, multiplication of the strawberries (var. prachanta 80 and sweet charlie), spices crops like black pepper and small cardamom, mass multiplication of the mandarin production through tissue culture technique. Annually, more than 15,000 numbers of cardamom (Barlangay) and banana (G9) plantlets.
4. Production Program
The annual production plans are developed through annual review and planning workshops co-ordinate by the Head Office at Paro and plans and activities are implemented by the Regional centres, farms and RSGs.
| Farm Location | Altitude (masl) | Size (acres) | Seeds production crops |
| Bajo, Wangdue | 1200 | 13.7 | Meet altitude Paddy, Wheat, Walnut and Vegetable Seeds |
| Samtenling, Sarpang | 360 | 77.57 | Low altitude Paddy and sub-tropical fruit plants, Watermelon and Cardamom seedlings |
| Bondey, Paro | 2200 | 13 | Asparagus seedling, strawberry seedling, Radish, Cabbage, Cucumber, Beans, Bunching Onion, Peas and other vegetable seeds |
| Chenery, Trashigang | 800 | 6.4 | On lease to DHI |
| Chundudingkha, Paro | 2400 | 23.9 | Aeroponics-Potato minitubers, Tissue culture-Banana and Potato microtubers, Vegetable seeds, Persimmon, Walnut and Strawberry |
| Jachedphu, Tyangtse | 1910 | 39.44 | Maize. Soybean and Vegetable seeds, walnut, Pear and Citrus Seedling Production |
| Jewphu, Paro | 2500 | 21.82 | Temperate Fruits Plants Production |
| Nangsiphel, Bumthang | 2700 | 9.65 | Seed Potato Production, Radish, Broccoli and Cauliflower seeds |
| Phobjikha, Wangdue | 2980 | 66.29 | Seed Potato Production |
| Fertilizer Store, Pling | 300 | 0.57 | Sell and Supply of Chemical Fertilizers |
| Total | 272.34 |
Commodities
Presently, NSC is dealing with the Seeds and Seedlings of the following crops:
Cereals: 14 varieties; Mustard: 3 varieties; Potato: 3 varieties; Vegetables: 59 varieties; Fruit plants: 48 varieties; Fertilizers: 5 items; Organic seeds: 9 varieties.
In brief, NSC is handling > 100 varieties and is likely to increase as the varieties and operation progress.
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