In order to meet the national food security needs and development of the agricultural industry, and in search of a healthy balance which will allow farmers to choose their seeds and protect the industry's developments, the Colombian Agricultural Institute, ICA, will have a new draft resolution by which it regulates the production and marketing of seeds in Colombia on public consultation until November the 5.
Some of the most outstanding aspects of this resolution are:
It expressly clarifies that the purpose of the rule applies only to the production and marketing of genetically modified seeds, removing the regulation against the use and gratuitous transfer.
The rule's provisions apply only to producers, marketers, plant breeding researchers, agronomic evaluation of improved cultivars units, seed importers and/or exporters.
Native or local seeds are excluded.
The harvest reserve or the so-called farmer's privilege only applies to PBR protected varieties in the country.
ICA's General Manager added; "The draft also states that there are two systems of production and marketing of seed for improved materials in the country: the case of certified seed, which provides generations control, and the selected seeds, of which although there is no such generations control, it requires that each seed be identified and registered at the ICA. Both system's marketing will be under technical control by the Institute."
The manager invited all of the people interested in the norm to send their comments and observations by the deadline, November 5, after which the ICA will respond to the various comments and proceed with the issuance of a new resolution.
Source: Ica.gov.co