Section 13Sec./Art. 13

Seed Industry Development Program.- The Council shall adopt within ninety (90) days after it has been constituted, a Seed Industry Development Program hereinafter referred to as the "Program", which shall be implemented by its constituent agencies.

a. A network of seed centers to be known as the National Seed Network shall be established at the Bureau of Plant Industry and major agricultural colleges and universities to produce sufficient quantity of breeder, foundation and registered seeds of all varieties developed by the government sector;

b. The Department of Agriculture shall have the overall task of directing and coordinating the activities of its component agencies in accelerating the development of the seed industry;

c. The Bureau of Plant Industry shall have the direct responsibility for the production, distribution, regulation of breeder, foundation and registered seeds, and the implementation of the program, including but not limited to the management of the existing research stations and seed farms, seed testing laboratories, and certification services under a self-reliant management scheme;

d. The University of the Philippines at Los Ba-os shall provide leadership in plant biotechnology activities related to plant improvement, genetic resources conservation, and in vitro mass production of planting materials through the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB);

e. The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PHILRICE) shall develop an appropriate rice varieties designed under Philippine conditions and propagate them into breeder, foundation, and registered seeds and extend all necessary technical assistance to ensure the proper utilization of such seeds on the farm level;

f. The Board of Investment (BOI) shall promulgate necessary rules for the development of the seed industry as preferred area of investment; and

g. The private sector of the seed industry shall direct their collective efforts towards an increased and more active cooperation and coordination with the government agencies. Farmers' organizations shall take active part in the conservation of the plant genetic resources of the nation.