There will be no compromise on the quality of seeds of crops and other agriculture products in the country, Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said yesterday.

"Quality seeds are crucial for good yield and productivity. So, the public and private institutions need to work together to ensure that farmers can use local seeds with full confidence."

The minister spoke while addressing the inaugural session of the "Seed Congress" at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka organised by the agriculture ministry and Bangladesh Seed Association.

The government has not increased the prices of fertilisers in the country despite the fourfold rise in their rates in the international markets, he said.

"Fertiliser and seed prices did not increase in the local markets and will not increase in near future also. Rather the government is now extending four times higher subsidy than before."

The seed companies should focus more on working with honesty, as many are still complaining about low-quality seeds, he said.

"I have received reports from the field that half of the seedlings did not grow. Still some companies have a tendency to cheat the farmers with low-quality seeds."

He also said the seed association should play a responsible role in this regard.

The seed companies will benefit if they gain the farmers' confidence on the quality of the seeds, Razzaque said.

There has been no shortage of fertiliser and seeds in the last 14 years, as the current agriculture-friendly government has established good governance in agricultural inputs, he said.