Govt clears merger of two key seed regulators under National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority

The Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases has approved the merger of the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department with the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority, thereby consolidating seed-sector oversight under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

According to a news report, the decision was endorsed on January 22, 2026, following a summary submitted by the food security ministry. The merger will place the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department under the administrative framework of the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority, which was established under the Seed (Amendment) Act, 2024 as the primary regulator of Pakistan’s seed sector.

The authority will be mandated to regulate seed quality standards, certification, variety registration, and overall governance of the seed industry to ensure the availability of quality seed and support sustainable agricultural development.

The committee was also informed that the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, an attached department of the food ministry created under the Seed Act, 1976, has been responsible for seed certification, plant variety registration, and enforcement of seed quality standards through inspections, laboratory testing, and regulatory action.

According to the ministry, the Federal Cabinet had earlier decided on January 1, 2025, to merge the two entities as part of a rightsizing exercise. Under the plan, the merged organisation will operate as a lean, digitalised entity integrated with the Pakistan Single Window, with only essential technical staff retained and a minimum reduction of 50% in positions through abolition of remaining and vacant posts.

To implement the decision, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research prepared a draft amendment to the Seed Act, 1976, which was vetted by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The final draft of the Seed (Amendment) Act, 2025 was then placed before the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases.

The committee approved the proposal, subject to the condition that amendments suggested during its deliberations are incorporated by the Law and Justice Division before the bill is submitted to the Federal Cabinet for final approval.