Dedicated secretariat set up to speed up seed approvals

ISLAMABAD, Feb 07 (APP): The Ministry of National Food Security and Research has simplified and accelerated its pest risk analysis, seed evaluation and approval process, aiming to ensure the timely availability of quality seeds, while maintaining strict regulatory controls.
According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority and the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department have revised the composition of the Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) and established a dedicated Variety Evaluation Committee Secretariat to speed up approvals.
Moreover, authorities are also digitizing the committee’s operations to improve transparency and minimize delays in the evaluation process.
The documents said that the timeline for completing a pest risk analysis for any commodity largely depends on how quickly exporting countries provide complete technical information. The risk assessment process examines pest biology, ecology, host range and mitigation measures applied in the country of origin, while also taking into account potential economic and environmental impacts.
According to the documents, plant and plant material imports are regulated under the Plant Quarantine Rules (PQR) 2019 and the guidelines of the International Plant Protection Convention.
Imports are permitted for commercial and research purposes, with commercial shipments requiring a pest risk analysis under Rule 10 of PQR 2019.
The analysis is a scientific process designed to prevent the introduction of regulated quarantine pests and to limit the spread of regulated non-quarantine pests.
The documents show that completion of a pest risk analysis can take several months and, in some cases, up to one or two years, depending on the crop, commodity and exporting country. Once market access is granted, consignments are released within one to two working days, provided all documentation is complete, and inspections confirm the goods are pest-free, in line with Rules 45 and 46 of PQR 2019.
Imports of plant material for research purposes are regulated under Rule 3 of PQR 2019. Importers must hold a post-entry quarantine facility for sowing or growing the material, and comply with minimum conditions set to prevent pest introduction.
If a valid post-entry quarantine license is in place and all prescribed conditions are fulfilled, the import applications are processed on the same day upon payment of the applicable fee. Likewise, the release of goods takes place on the same day, provided that inspections confirm compliance with the prescribed conditions.