India's maize seed industry in transition: changing roles for the public and private sectors

Abstract

Recent policy reforms have brought major changes to India's maize seed industry. Since seed laws were liberalized in the late 1980s, private investment in maize research has risen sharply, and seed companies have captured a significant share of the market. Although the emergence of a flourishing private seed industry has benefited many producers and consumers, calls for complete privatization of the industry are misguided. Profit-oriented firms are unlikely to assume functions that cannot easily be exploited for commercial gain, so government agencies will continue to play an important role in supporting basic research, conducting applied research targeted at marginal environments, collecting and disseminating market information, and establishing and enforcing industry standards. Public-sector involvement in commercial seed production seems destined to decrease, however, as the private seed industry gains in strength.