Legumes Seed System in Asia: A Case in India

Legumes (Leguminosae family) seed system in India consists of the informal, formal and the integrated seed sector. However, the informal seed sector dominates the seed production system. The majority of farmers who grow legumes particularly as dry seeds (in short pulses), save a part of their produce (about 80-90%) as seed requirement. Although, the private sector is increasing its share of the market, it is the farmers’ sector (farmer-saved seed and exchange systems) that produces 70% of the quality seed. Quality seeds are labeled as ‘truthful’ seeds when farmers follow the recommended package of practices in order to maintain the level of genetic purity of legumes. In the formal seed sector, private companies respond to commercial incentives on hybrids of high-value seeds. However, the existence of the developed formal seed sector at the national level cannot guarantee small-farmer seed security at the community and household levels. The integrated approach that takes into cognizance the formal and informal seed sector in breeding, seed production and distribution has shown to have promising potential for improving seed supply to smallholder farmers. Moreover, any seed system, for that matter, requires a regulatory framework as well as a seed policy that considers regulations of an expanding and diversifying seed sector for the benefit of the farmers engaged in the seed production system