A three-day regional training programme on hybrid vegetable seed production for SAARC member states began in Bhutan on Monday. The programme aims to strengthen technical capacity and promote regional cooperation in quality seed production.
The programme is jointly organised by Bhutan’s Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), Dhaka. It is being held from 5 to 7 October at the National Centre for Organic Agriculture in Yusipang in a hybrid format, reads a press release.
Bhutan’s Agriculture and Livestock Minister Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho attended the inaugural session as chief guest, while Tanvir Ahmad Torophder, director of the SAARC Secretariat, was the special guest.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Bhutan Maleka Parveen, Neha Yadav, first secretary at the Embassy of India in Bhutan, and the director general of Bhutan’s Department of Multilateral Affairs were also present.
The programme brings together officials from the SAARC Secretariat, SAC and Bhutan’s Department of Agriculture, along with resource persons and participants from SAARC member states. Around 30 researchers from Bhutan attended in person, while participants from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka joined virtually.
In his inaugural address, Minister Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho highlighted the importance of plant breeding, hybrid vigour and quality seed systems in increasing agricultural productivity, ensuring food and nutrition security, and building resilience to pests, diseases and climate variability.
The training includes technical lectures, practical exercises, laboratory and field demonstrations, and group learning sessions, with a focus on hybrid seed production of tomato and chilli. Key topics include parent plant management, emasculation, pollination, genetic purity, seed handling, storage and quality control.
According to the organisers, strengthening regional capacity in hybrid seed production will improve access to quality seeds, reduce dependence on imported hybrid seeds and strengthen domestic seed infrastructure across South Asia.
The initiative also aims to help farmers increase productivity, produce more uniform and marketable vegetables, and improve farm profitability and rural livelihoods.
