Experts warn seed law amendments may hurt small farmers, market competition and Malaysia’s long-term food security
PETALING JAYA: Proposed amendments to Malaysia’s seed laws could carry long-term consequences for farmer livelihoods, market competition and national food security, experts warned.
Universiti Utara Malaysia Institute of Asian International Affairs and Diplomacy research fellow Assoc Prof Dr Bakri Mat said stricter seed regulations risk marginalising long-standing farming practices relied on by smallholders.
“Stricter seed regulations risk marginalising traditional practices that small farmers have relied on for generations to reduce costs and sustain their livelihoods.”
Bakri said farmers’ concerns about “monopoly” reflect growing market control by large agricultural suppliers, rather than intellectual property issues alone.
“When farmers speak about ‘monopoly’, they are referring to the excessive control of a few large companies over the entire agricultural supply chain, which weakens farmers’ bargaining power.”
He said some farmers are increasingly required to purchase bundled agricultural inputs, including seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, from the same suppliers, limiting their ability to negotiate prices while giving them little influence over the prices of their produce.
Bakri warned that heavy dependence on commercial seeds and imported inputs could weaken Malaysia’s food security.
“Overdependence on commercial seeds and inputs makes the national food system more vulnerable to global disruptions, as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
“While production costs have increased by 30% to 50%, farm-gate prices have remained largely stagnant, squeezing farmers’ already narrow profit margins.”
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Mara Sarawak agrotechnology expert Assoc Prof Dr Abdul Rahman Saili said stricter seed regulations could reduce farmers’ autonomy over traditional practices.
“Stricter seed regulations could reduce small farmers’ autonomy and turn long-standing traditional practices into potential legal violations,” he said.
“Expanding intellectual property protection in agriculture risks criminalising traditional farming practices that communities have relied on for food security.”
Rahman said growing reliance on uniform commercial seeds could also weaken agricultural biodiversity.
“When farmers depend on uniform commercial seeds, agricultural biodiversity declines, reducing the resilience of crops to climate change and disease.”
He added that restrictions on seed saving would force farmers to purchase new seeds each season, increasing production costs.
“Restrictions on seed saving force farmers to purchase new seeds every season, increasing production costs and narrowing already tight profit margins.
“Limited engagement with small farmers in policy reforms has resulted in regulations that do not fully reflect realities on the ground.”
