Quality seed is the main input for good yield but Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) supplies only 5 per cent of seeds of various crops needed in the country annually.

The rest 95 per cent is preserved by farmers in traditional ways in which the quality is affected, resulting in poor yield. Taking the opportunity, Indian inferior quality seeds find their way into the country.

Though there has not been any government patronisation, some private seed companies have grown in Modhupur area in recent years following untiring efforts by some educated youths.

Atique Seed Company grew 150 tons of Boro seeds and 50 tons of transplanted Aman seeds in the last season. BADC provided support to it in quality control, preservation, moisture control, processing and grading, its official Arun Chandra Das told this correspondent. He claimed that paddy seeds, having 95 per cent germination rate, are acclaimed by farmers. The seed is tested in its laboratory and competes with those supplied by BADC, he said.

"We are preparing to produce HYV Boro seeds next season. About 1,500 agriculture laborers are working in our farm", he added.

Farid Ahmed, owner of Alam Seed Company at Dhanbari, said he started commercial production of seeds after training on seed farming, preservation and marketing from Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) at Gazipur in Dhaka. He produces paddy seeds and seedlings and potato seeds.

Farid produced 66 tons of Boro seeds, 20 tons of transplanted Aman and 135 tons of Diamond variety of potato seedlings last year. These are being marketed this year. The BRRI-41 Boro seed supplied by his company gave an yield of around 75 maunds per acre, Farid claimed.

Farid bought 'mother seeds' from BARI at Tk 10 per kg and after multiplication in his farm he sold it at Tk 20 per kg to farmers.

He said BADC gets subsidy for seed production but private growers do not get any such facility from the government though he employs about 4,000 people in temporary jobs for collecting, packing, grading, transportation and marketing of seeds.

Officials of the companies said they do not get bank loan. Banks do not give loan to any farm owning less than 40 acres of land. This is very much unrealistic for Bangladesh where land is scarce and holdings are fragmented.

Seed production needs a huge investment, he said. He has to spend Tk 30 to 40 lakh a year, Farid said.

Jamal Uddin, owner of another seed farm--Taem Tradersin Dhanbari produced 35 tons of Boro and 80 tons of potato seeds last year and employed about 1,000 laborers.

Seeds grown in Madhupur are being supplied to greater Myme-nsingh, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Khulna, Jessore, Rangpur and Bogra districts.

A high official of BADC in Tangail said this is a prospective sector which needs government patronisation. BADC, with its limited resources, is providing support to private seed companies so far possible to encourage them.

The official said Bangladesh imports seeds worth crores of taka every year from Japan, China, India and Korea though there is potential in the country for production of hybrid seeds by private companies.