Paper: GS – II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Legislature, Issue: Seeds Bill, 2025.
Context:
Recently, the new Seeds Bill, 2025 proposed by the Centre, which aims to replace the Seeds Act, 1966 and Seed (control order) 1983.
Key Takeaways:
- The bill focuses on mandatory registration of seed varieties, stricter penalties for violations, and ensuring the quality of seeds available to farmers.
The Problem of Spurious and Substandard Seeds:
- Complaints and Concerns: Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has repeatedly raised concerns about substandard seeds in the market.
Data on Non-Standard Seeds:
- Between 2022-25, 43,001 seed samples were found to be non-standard.
- West Bengal accounted for 62% of these non-standard seeds, followed by Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
- Out of 5,97,859 seed samples tested, 43,001 were found to be non-standard.
Actions Taken by States: States issued warnings, stop-sale orders, filed FIRs/cases, and reported forfeitures related to non-standard seeds.
India’s Seed Requirement:
- Annual Seed Requirement: The estimated annual seed requirement for 2024-25 was 48.20 lakh tonnes, while the availability was 53.15 lakh tonnes.
- Market Value: India’s seed market is valued at approximately Rs 40,000 crore.
- Variety Release: From May 2014 to August 2025, 3,053 varieties were released, with 85% from the public sector and 15% from the private sector.
Key Provisions of the Seeds Bill, 2025:
- Mandatory Registration: The bill proposes mandatory registration of seed varieties, except for farmers’ varieties and those produced exclusively for export.
- Penalties: It introduces penalties of up to Rs 30 lakh and three years’ imprisonment for major offenses, such as selling spurious or non-registered seeds.
- Role of Seed Inspectors Seed inspectors will have search-and-seizure powers under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, ensuring stronger enforcement against violations.
- Regulation of Quality: The bill aims to regulate the quality of seeds for sale and import, ensuring the supply of high-quality seeds.
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