Why in news?
- The Union government has released a new draft Seeds Bill, 2025, after two failed attempts to pass similar legislation in 2004 (UPA) and 2019 (NDA) due to farmer opposition.
- It aims to replace the Seeds Act, 1966 and the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983.
- Government claims alignment with current agricultural and regulatory needs, including seed quality control and liberalised imports.
- Public comments open till December 11.
Relevance
- GS 3 – Agriculture
Seed regulation, quality control, farmer access, seed imports - GS 3 – Economy
Private sector role in seed industry; liberalisation; ease of doing business - GS 2 – Governance / Policy
Legislative reforms; regulatory modernisation; stakeholder conflicts
What are “seeds laws” in India?
- Seeds laws regulate:
- Quality parameters (germination %; genetic purity; physical purity; seed health).
- Certification processes (Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards).
- Registration of seed dealers and varieties.
- Liability for seed failure.
- The Seeds Act, 1966 is considered outdated:
- Focused on public-sector dominance.
- Lacks frameworks for modern hybrids, GM events, private R&D, and global seed trade.
Key provisions of the draft Seeds Bill, 2025
- Mandatory registration:
- Every seed dealer must register with the State government before selling or exporting/importing seeds.
- Quality regulation:
- Seeds sold must meet minimum certification standards for germination, purity, traits, health.
- Regulation of sale to ensure declared performance.
- Liberalisation:
- Greater freedom for seed imports, enabling access to global varieties.
- Decriminalisation:
- Minor offences decriminalised to reduce compliance burden.
- Serious violations retain strong penalties.
- Farmer protection:
- Ensures farmers’ access to high-quality seeds at affordable rates.
- Aims to prevent losses due to substandard seeds.
Why earlier attempts (2004 and 2019) failed
- Farmer groups opposed:
- Mandatory registration and certification seen as restricting farmer-saved seeds.
- Fear of greater corporate control over the seed market.
- Concerns around liability provisions favouring companies.
- Bills were withdrawn after widespread protests, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Telangana.
Farmers’ perspective
- Seen as industry-friendly:
- “Bill favours seed companies and facilitates ease of doing seeds business” (BKU-Ekta Ugrahan).
- Key concerns:
- Could lead to higher seed prices.
- Risk of monopolisation by MNCs/private breeders.
- Stronger regulation might apply more to farmers than companies.
- Fear of indirect control over farmer-saved and exchanged seeds via registration norms.
Seed industry perspective
- Welcomed as a modernising move, especially by the Federation of Seed Industry of India.
- Benefits to industry:
- Clearer regulatory regime.
- Decriminalisation reduces business risk.
- Liberalised imports expand breeding and hybridisation possibilities.
- Predictability for private investment.
Larger policy context: why regulate seeds more tightly now?
- India’s seed market size: ₹25,000–27,000 crore; private sector share: 65–70%.
- Issues:
- Quality failures cause 10–30% yield loss depending on crop.
- Spurious seeds cases frequently reported in cotton, paddy, vegetables.
- Need to integrate global seed variety testing, DUS criteria, and digital traceability.
Critical analysis
Strengths
- Modernises a 60-year-old law.
- Better consumer protection through quality benchmarks.
- Enables innovation and global germplasm flow.
- Rationalises penal provisions → encourages private R&D.
Concerns
- May unintentionally promote corporate dominance in seeds.
- Registration rules could affect:
- farm-saved varieties,
- community seed systems.
- Liberalised imports risk entry of high-cost foreign varieties → price inflation.
- No clarity on seed liability and compensation mechanisms — historically the most contentious aspect.
- Risk of conflict with:
- PPV&FRA, 2001 (farmers’ rights),
- Biodiversity Act, 2002 (access to genetic resources).
Governance risks
- States’ capacity to run robust registration and testing systems remains weak.
- Enforcement uneven across India → inconsistent protection for farmers.
