Pakistan: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual

Pakistan is making progress towards approving and implementing the regulations that will modernize its seed and biotechnology regulatory systems. The Plant Breeders’ Rights Act is expected to receive final executive approval soon; the Act would provide intellectual property protection for biotech seeds for the first time ever. Similarly, regulators are working to finalize the implementing rule of the 2015 Seed Act that would encourage private sector investment in the industry. The status of the final piece of the regulatory puzzle is still somewhat uncertain as federal and provincial regulators work to determine the lines of regulatory oversight in the approval process. Meanwhile, 95 percent of Pakistani cotton is biotech and Pakistan imports biotech soybeans, canola, and cotton; foreign and domestic firms are eager to introduce new technologies as soon as the regulatory structure is in place.

Pakistan: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual