Mullick told The Financial Express that the research-based private seed industry will meet the ministry of agriculture with its greiviances during the national symposium on seed sector reforms in New Delhi mid-July.He said,``The ASI will recommend the amendment of the seed development policy as many clauses of the regulation do not address the current requirement of the industry.''

``There is an urgent need to review the policies affecting the agricultural sector and develop a national agriculture growth strategy,'' he said.The government must frame the policy incorporating prime movers like imported technology, increased investment in irrigation and infrastructure, land reforms, corporatisation, effective crop insurance schemes for farmers and remunerativesupport prices, he suggested.

According to Mullick,``the 1988 seed policy involves excessive legislations that are outdated, restrictive rather than progressive, inward looking rather than entrepreneurial. The multiplicity of acts, rules and administrative orders has resulted in over-regulation of this nascent industry.''

He said the agriculture technology has undergone a sea change since the formulation of the first seed policy in 1988. As the first step towards the development of agriculture, existing ``fractions of minor regulations'' should become a single piece of law that covers the entire nation, he felt. He also suggested that the seed and seed industry be removed from the purview of the Seeds Act 1966, Seed Rules 1968, Seeds Control Order 1983, Essential Commodities Act 1955, Standards of Weights and Measures Act 1976 and Comsumer Protection Act 1986.

He said although India had embarked upon economic liberalisation since 1991, most reforms were in the non-agricultural sector. However, somemeasures were taken in agriculture, like removal of restrictions on domestic movement of commodities, partial rationalisation in food, fertiliser subsidies, progressive reduction in food and fertiliser subsidies and membership of World Trade Organisation.

He said it was of critical importacne that the process of technology advancement in agriculture was given a favourable policy environment so as to ensure a significant rise in private investment in the seed sector, the delivery vehicle for improved technology in agriculture.