Govt cancels hundreds of seed licences in crackdown on counterfeit sales

ISLAMABAD: The government has revoked licences of 392 seed companies and is considering criminal charges, including up to 10 years in prison, in a sweeping crackdown on counterfeit seed sales that lawmakers say are undermining the country’s food security and hurting farmers.

The move follows a report presented to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research, chaired by MNA Syed Tariq Hussain, which revealed widespread regulatory failures in seed certification and wheat procurement.

The sub-committee, led by MNA Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, called for accountability of both seed companies and government officials involved in licensing.

The Ministry of National Food Security informed the committee licences of 392 out of 1,200 seed companies have been revoked. It had introduced a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking system to improve transparency in seed sales. However, lawmakers demanded harsher measures, stating that fines were not enough and legal experts should be engaged to ensure prosecution of those involved in the fake seed trade.