This Article has been written by Ms. Anam Siddiqui, a 2nd year student (BALLB) of Sadanlal Savaldas Khanna Girls Degree College, Prayagraj.

Abstract:

This article deals with those Strategies that are helpful in encouraging private-sector investment in Plant Breeding. With the advancement of technologies and modernization in the agricultural field, various new and efficient methods emerged, benefitting various sectors of the economy. Plants can be made resistant to harsh climatic conditions by improving the quality traits of them. Private sector investment in the agricultural field can lead to the growth of the economy of a nation. Spending on agricultural assets by individual investors rather than by the government can repair broken systems in the field. 

Introduction:

Plant Breeding can be defined as an art whereby agricultural plants are improved making them more tasty, strong, nutritious and productive by infilling them with valuable traits. In current times, Farmers as well as Scientists work together to breed plants in order to have desired characteristics in plants. Scientists uses different scientific principles to improve gene coding of plants. Parental plants are combined in order to get next generation with best traits. Plants are improved for different purposes like to use them for consumption, generating power, environment services, protection, and for other different human activities.

According to Crop Science Society of America, plant traits that are generally improved includes the following characteristics:

1.Taste, colour and texture pf fruits and vegetables, 

2.Resistance to pests and diseases,

3. Adaptation in different environment conditions, such as flood, drought etc., 

4.Ease of harvest,

5.Creation of seedless variety of fruits and vegetables

6.Increase in Yield,

7.Increase in nutritional value.

India is self-possessed by using different ways in agricultural research strategies.to get benefitted by plant breeding. It includes reforming agriculture and making it suitable to youth, initiating different advanced technologies, inter-mixing contemporary and conventional ways of breeding and initiating policies which are compatible with the farmers.

Private-sector investment in India:

Most of the agronomy related activities were always funded by the government and supported by public sector investments. But, gradual changes have been seen as private sector investments in agricultural field have been evident. An Economic Survey conducted in 2022-23 states very clearly that investment in this field must be encouraged.

According to the survey, private investments in agriculture increased by 9.3% in 2020-21 but needed more in 2022-23.

In early times, the Indian Government followed various steps like input subsidies, price supports, crop insurance, regulation of interest rates etc., on the recommendation of Jha Committee in 1964, encouraging public investment in agriculture.  

But later, the decline of public investments had been spotted, which became a reason for no specific growth in agronomy. It was also noticed that governments’ steps were inefficient for productivity. Data that are present shows us that how rapidly the public investment in plant breeding slowed down creating a downward trend, causing stagnation in the field.

The Survey states that, greater participation of private sector can accelerate growth and productivity. By using their business sense, private firms can educate and train plant breeders in order to maximise their profit.

Public-private partnership can also be helpful in imparting ideas and education of plant breeding.

As there is an increasing need for nutritious food and new variety of plants, investments in plant breeding should be further increased in order to fulfil this need

Various steps and techniques should be adopted by the government to encourage private sector investments in plant breeding.

Strategies that can be adopted to increase private-sector investments in plant breeding:

Plant Breeding is an emerging field that makes use of genes coding and technologies to develop improved plant varieties. Breeders can add, remove or modify any genes to make a plant more productive. It is an advancing science. Recent technological developments have been proven helpful in plant breeding. 

In many developing and industrialized countries, it had been noticed that there is a continuous increase in private investments in this particular field. 

In the very early years of the development of plant breeding, a very small portion of it was financed by private companies that was mainly concerned with fruits, flowers and crops like, cotton, soyabean, soyabean etc. 

As soon as business entered in agriculture, a large number of agribusiness associations formed which shooted private investments in plant breeding. Companies started to invest in biotechnology, seeds and chemicals.

It had been noticed that there is a significant shift of activities from public to private sector.

Private sector investments can be encouraged by formulating different schemes, policies, incentives etc, to attain a high level of development in plant breeding. 

• Research strategy: Projects which are formulated related to plant breeding should mainly focus on those crops are relevant according to the need of market with strategic traits such as climatic change adaptation. Private investors are not attracted towards those crops which are not widely grown. Major crops could attract private investors towards plant breeding. Involvement of private sector in  such researches  and development of new technologies could attract them. 
• Economic Analysis: Private investors are common in other fields such as infrastructure sector because an economic analysis relating to cost incurring and benefit are carried out. No such study takes place in the field of plant breeding. Private investments could be encouraged by developing the research analysis, helping them to decide their participation on the basis of their consideration. Analysis conducted should impart the knowledge of scientific and technical principles, influencing other firms and reducing costs.
• In-Depth and Transparent communication: Ways of private and public projects differ from each other in different aspects. Similarly, their expectations are also different. So, an in depth and transparent communication along with proper procedure could help in increasing private investments in plant breeding.
• Open access to Germplasm:  Germplasm usually refers to the genetic resources that are used for animal and plant breeding. For Example: Seeds, Tissues, DNA Sequences, Plant seeds and Pollen, Germ cells etc. It should made openly accessible to everyone for easy production, breeding, multiplication and distribution.
• Making results of research available for use: Researches and Projects often produces a large quantity of data. Results should be made available so that investors can make use of them and prepare a strategy and invest in plant breeding.
• Evolvement of Technologies: Various technologies should be manifested to attract private investors such as:

(a) Transgenesis (b) Mass clonal propagation (c) Hybrid creation    

(d) Genomics (e) DNA Marker assisted creation 

• Application of Intellectual Property Rights: IPRs are an efficient way of encouraging private investments in Research and Development of plant breeding. Application of IPR in agriculture, especially in plant breeding prevents market failures which discourage investments in this particular field. An IPR system must be efficient and effective so, that it can create a balance between the individual interests and the demands of the society.

The system of IPR should be applied to appreciate innovations as well as to defeat the economic losses. 

Various IPR Mechanisms which can attract private investors in plant breeding:

• Plant Variety Protection: PVP is a Patent like system that gives right to the owner or innovator to prevent anyone to have unauthorised use of his creation or innovation. It is used to protect unique plant varieties from its’ unauthorised use. 

Creating a new breed of plant requires labour, material, skills, investments and a long span of time (such as 10 to 12 years). Thus, this kind of new innovation should be protected which could easily be robbed by others by producing the same variety.

This PVP System helps the breeder to retain the benefit from the investment made by the sale of such unique seeds. It encourages investment in plant breeding influencing a large number of farmers and growers. It also provide an opportunity in international market.

• Plant Patents: Patents are the most common form of IPR which we all are aware of.  It protects the inventor and his invention of a new and unique plants’ traits from being robbed, unauthorised use and sale. A Plant patent is granted to the inventor if the plant is reproduced by asexual method. The term of plant patent is usually 20 years from the date of awarding patent which gives right to the innovator to prevent others from asexually reproducing such plant and further selling the plant.
• Utility Patents: It is a patent that covers the creation of a new or improved useful product. It is also known as “Patent for Invention” prohibiting other people or group of people from using, selling or invention without authorization. These are mostly used to protect the transgenic or genetically engineered plants from its unauthorised use. 

There is a direct relationship between IPR and agriculture. By the virtue of the IPR, innovators can be granted rights on their creation. This would lead to their appreciation and encouraging private firms and individuals to make investments in plant breeding.

Thus, by using above strategies, private investors can be attracted towards plant bleeding leading to ultimate development in agricultural field.

Conclusion:

Private investments made in plant breeding can be very beneficial for overall sector development. The conditions for Research and Development in the field of breeding are very specific. Innovations in the field of plant breeding should be protected adequately in order to promote this sector. 

If an efficient IPR system is not regulated then companies will be interdependent on each other for the new creations. 

Generating interest in private investors towards agronomy can play a vital role in the economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainability. 

Private investors can also help the small investors in the plant breeding to develop out with new and advanced technologies, which can improve the productivity, research and development. 

Government should formulate different policies by conducting surveys, which could be beneficial for agronomical activities. However, irresponsible operation by private companies can undermine the potential, therefore, government should have control over the field as well.

We can conclude that, public investment can strengthen the infra-structure of the sector, whereas, public investment can enhance the productivity capacity of the sector.

Furthermore, collaborations formed between public and private sector can also be beneficial as such. Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in this field can also elevate the level of development.

However, by the time, we can see significant continuous increase in the private investment in the plant breeding.

References:

• JRC Science and Policy Reports, Maria Lusser, ISBN 978-92-79-38166-9, 2014
• International Food Policy Research Institute, Deepthi Kolady\David J. Spielman\Anthony J. Cavalieri, 2010
• The article is originally published on the website of Crops Science Society of America, link for the same is herein: www.crops.org/about-crops/breeding 
• The article is originally published on the website of Kashish Intellectual Property Group, link for the same is herein: https://www.kashishworld.com/blog/intellectual-property-rights-on-plant-varieties/#:~:text=Plant%20variety%20protection%2C%20also%20known,prior%20authorization%20of%20the%20breeder