BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

STRENGTHENING BANGLADESH-INDIA RICE SEEDS COOPERATION: BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE

Author: Mahfuz Kabir

DOI Link: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2014v35n4a1

ABSTRACT

This paper is an attempt to understand the prospect for strengthening rice seeds cooperation between Bangladesh and India in modern varieties. Both the countries are trying to achieve food security through improvements in rice production, marketing, and research and development in rice seeds. Bangladesh and four states of eastern India belong to similar agro-climatic zone where rice is overwhelmingly placed as a major staple food. However, due to absence of policy and regulatory barriers to rice seeds trade in modern varieties, there are anecdotal evidences of informal flow of rice seeds across the border, which is risky for both producers and consumers. The paper finds that there is a notable presence of informal cross-border trade of many varieties of rice seeds in three bordering districts in Bangladesh. The paper suggests some doable measures to strengthen rice seeds cooperation between the two countries through, inter alia, trade formalisation, making use of SAARC seed bank, joint research and release of new modern varieties, and harmonising standards and certification procedures.