Argentina simplifies registration of new seeds

The Argentine national government has streamlined the registration process for new seed varieties, cutting through bureaucracy that previously delayed the process by up to three years. According to an official statement, "This decision will expedite the process and encourage the arrival of new cultivars to the market."

The Argentine government has eliminated previously mandatory procedures to deregulate the registration of new cultivars. "These procedures represented an obstacle to promoting the arrival of new cultivars to the market and, consequently, to the seed industry's ability to respond to demands arising from biotic or abiotic factors," explains the official communication.

The decision was implemented by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries of the Ministry of Economy (SAGYP), through the National Seed Institute (INASE) and with the approval of the National Seed Commission. Specifically, it involves the repeal of INASE Resolutions 108/1997, 307/1997, 118/1998, and 44/1994 of the former SAGYP, which established and regulated the registration mechanisms for different species.

According to the official statement, the most notable aspect is the elimination of the mandatory requirement for Comparative Yield Tests (TCR). These procedures were required for varieties of species subject to mandatory inspection, such as cotton, rice, sunflower, corn, soybeans, sorghum, bread wheat, durum wheat, brewing barley, and alfalfa:

"These procedures were an obstacle to the market introduction of new varieties because, for example, TCRs required between two and three years of work before the information and results could be submitted to the Inspection File," states the Argentine government in the same official communication.

According to Argentine regulatory bodies, the elimination of this step will facilitate the registration of new varieties and improve decision-making based on other factors, such as market needs.

"In the last 25 years, Argentina has been the epicenter of a true agricultural and knowledge revolution, highlighting the need for improved responsiveness in the seed industry to meet producer demands that may arise due to biotic or abiotic factors," they justify.

The resolution that optimizes the requirements for registering new cultivars in the National Cultivar Registry (RNC) can be consulted at the following address: https://www.boletinoficial.gob.ar/detalleAviso/primera/321067/20250213 

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)