Source: BS
Context:
India’s seed sector, valued at over ₹35,000 crore, is at the cusp of significant regulatory and policy changes through:
- A draft Seeds Bill (2025)
- Proposed amendments to PPVFRA (Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority)
- Global negotiations under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA / Plant Treaty)
These reforms aim to enhance quality, investment, and innovation in the sector while balancing farmer rights and food security.
1. Draft Seeds Bill, 2025
- Purpose: Replace the Seeds Act, 1966 and Seeds (Control) Order, 1983 to regulate seed quality, facilitate production and supply of high-quality seeds, and improve traceability.
- Key Features:
- Centralised accreditation system, replacing state-level seed licences.
- Focus on traceability and quality inspection.
- Permits foreign organisations to conduct Value of Cultivation and Use (VCU) trials and certify seeds, though final certification remains with ICAR.
- Criticism:
- Farmer rights, compensation, and price regulation are minimally addressed.
- Penal provisions are emphasized, but compensation for substandard seeds is missing.
- States’ powers are curtailed, raising concerns about federal balance in seed governance.
- Positive aspects:
- Penal provisions and inspection powers are expected to improve compliance.
2. Proposed Amendments to PPVFRA
- Purpose: Protect Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of plant varieties and safeguard farmers’ rights.
- Key Features / Changes:
- Provisional registration of plant varieties allowed while final certification is pending, reducing risk for breeders.
- “Innocent infringement” clause preserved to protect farmers using registered varieties unknowingly.
- Industry feedback:
- Cosmetic and definitional changes only; core structure remains unchanged.
- Demand to include genetic modification/gene editing under PPVFRA not accepted, remains under environment ministry regulation.
- Concerns:
- Transparency of committee composition and process questioned by civil society groups.
3. Plant Treaty (ITPGRFA) Negotiations
- Overview:
- Multilateral treaty for conservation, sustainable use, and equitable sharing of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
- India is a signatory since 2004; currently, only 9 crops (26,563 accessions) notified under the Multilateral System (MLS).
- Key Issues:
- Civil society claims India has shared over 400,000 samples, contradicting government statements.
- Expansion of MLS could provide Indian farmers access to developed varieties, e.g., South American corn.
- Data on utilization of MLS accessions for breeding in India remains unclear.
- Potential Impact:
- Improved access to high-quality foreign genetic material for breeding and hybrids.
- Could enhance farmer productivity and incomes, contributing to food security.
