Proceedings of the Fifth Asian Regional Maize Workshop - Search ...

v) Incentives to private sector are often lacking,
vi) Required trained manpower is invariably not available in some countries, and
vii) Required regional collaboration is not in place.
V. STRATEGY FOO TI£ F\JllJE
SUitable strategy on hybrids is necessary to overcome existing constraints. This would
also help in improving further both the production and productivity of major cereals in Asia­
Pacific Region. Action on the following would be helpful towards improving the present situation:
i) National pol icy concerning adoption of hybrid technology would obviously determine the
extent to which the impact of this technology would become visible. There is need to sensitize
policy makers concerning importance of this matter. Policy support for seed production and
pricing would also determine the role that public and private sectors will have to play towards
R&D efforts on hybrid technology.
ii) Greater thrust is needed for R&D efforts on hybrid development and adoption at the field
level. Present spending on hybrid research are relatively inadequate in a number of countries.
Also the involvement of Private Sector for generating hybrid technology is much less in the
developing countries compared to the developed countries.
iii) Organized seed production of hybrids for higher replacement rates would enable countries in
Asia-Pacific Region to improve their productivity further.
Besides Public system, there is a need to encourage the Private Seed sector to play an
effective role in the future so as to have an appropriate and efficient delivery system in place.
Clear policies of the Government regarding area coverage under hybrids vis a vis open pollinated
varieties would go a long way in improving the situation.
iv) The pace for the adoption of hybrid technology will have to be accelerated in the future.
Present casual approach in many countries, still dependent on first generation technology, such
as use of OPVs in maize and pearl millet or double cross hybrids in maize, is not likely to yield
required advancements through hybrid technology, as experienced elsewhere. Hybrid rice is
another example in this context, where much could be learnt from Chinese experience.
v) Regional collaboration for seed development and pranotion of hybrid technology, based on
experiences and successes gained in the Region, would go a long way in improving the present
scenario. Presently, there is lack of communication and no mechanism exists fro regular flow of
information concerning pranotion of hybrids. Also systematic testing of hybrids at the regional
level is lacking and exchange of germplasm is Quite limited between countries. Regional cooperation
is also needed for human resource development as well as cooperation for economic production
and supply of hybrid seeds at competitive price. Accordingly, regional cooperation is needed in
order to achieve following objectives:
a) exchange of information on hybrid technology and seed production and marketing;
b) regional testing of promising hybrids and exchange of germplasm;
c) cooperation among public and private seed organizations, especially to draw strength
from each other in view of comparative advantages;
d) human resource development in the field of hybrid technology; and
e) advice concerning policy and strategy for pranoting R&D efforts on hybrid technology
and development of seed sector, especially Private Sector involvement through appropriate
provisions for plant variety protection (IVP) systems.
Recent efforts by FAO to establish Asia-Pacific seed Association (details of which will be
explained by Mr. Lemonius during this consultation) would possibly address some of these issues
in future. Mechanisms are, therefore, required to be devised to ensure fulfillment of these
objectives in the near future so that benefits reach the common farmers of the developing
countries in the Region.
VI. fEED FOO REGI