Public-Private Interface and Information Flow in the Rice Seed System of Andhra Pradesh (India)

Seed industries in developing countries are in transition. One of the significant changes that has taken place is the increasing participation of private sector in the provision of improved seeds. This development has led to the visualisation of appropriate roles for the private and public sectors so as to serve farmers more efficiently. These roles are better understood and encouraged in the provision of hybrid seeds. What are not understood are the conditions facilitating the entry of private sector in the non-hybrid seed market, where most plant breeding is in the public domain. This paper is an attempt in this direction. The paper does not attempt an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of various seed agencies. It focuses on their performance in providing farmers with information and seeds and also on the interactions and information flow between the various agencies. The study analyses data collected through discussion with several key informants and from two independent surveys of seed agencies and farmers. It outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the seed system, and makes suggestions for serving farmers more efficiently, in particular, suggestions on the promotion of new varieties, improving information flow and greater public-private interface. It is hoped that policy-makers, researchers and seed agencies alike will find the results useful.