Source: PIB
Context:
A modern, farmer-centric legislation proposed to regulate the seed ecosystem in India. It seeks to replace the Seeds Act, 1966 and Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, introducing a transparent, traceable, and accountable system for registration, certification, quality standards, and digital monitoring.
Objective:
- Ensure high-quality seeds with verified germination, purity, and health standards.
- Protect farmers from spurious, misbranded, or sub-standard seeds.
- Promote innovation and private R&D while reducing compliance burdens.
- Enable digital traceability and transparency through QR codes and a central seed traceability portal.
Background / Need:
- Existing seed laws are outdated, unable to accommodate hybrids, GM traits, private R&D, and global trade.
- Earlier reform attempts (e.g., 2004 Seeds Bill) did not materialize.
- Increasing focus on farmers’ rights, quality assurance, and digital monitoring.
Key Features of the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025
Mandatory Registration of Seed Varieties:
- No seed can be sold without registration based on Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) trials.
- Existing varieties under the 1966 Act receive provisional registration for 3 years.
- Registration can be suspended or revoked for poor performance or safety concerns.
Farmers’ Rights Protected:
- Farmers retain the right to save, use, re-sow, exchange, and sell farm-saved seeds (except under a brand name).
- Exempt from penalties for selling their own farm seeds.
Quality Regulation & Standards:
- Central Government sets minimum standards for germination, purity, traits, and seed health.
- Mandatory labelling and QR codes ensure traceability.
- Misbranded or spurious seeds are prohibited.
Registration Across the Seed Chain:
- Seed producers, processing units, dealers, distributors, and nurseries must register with State Governments.
- Multi-state companies can be “deemed registered” via a Central Accreditation System.
Certification & Testing Ecosystem:
- Establishment of Seed Certification Agencies and Central & State Seed Testing Laboratories.
- Seed Inspectors and Analysts empowered for sampling, search, and seizure.
Liberalised Seed Imports:
- Imports must meet quarantine regulations and Indian minimum seed certification standards.
- Unregistered varieties allowed for research and trials with approval.
Digital Seed Traceability – SATHI Portal:
- Mandatory onboarding for all producers, dealers, and research bodies.
- Enables end-to-end tracking, transparency, and fraud minimisation.
Graded Penalty System:
- Trivial offences: warnings and small fines.
- Minor offences: penalties up to ₹2 lakh.
- Major offences: penalties up to ₹30 lakh, cancellation of registration, and imprisonment in extreme cases.
- Farmers are exempt from penalties for farm-saved seeds.
Price Regulation in Emergencies:
- Central Government may fix prices during scarcity, monopolistic pricing, or profiteering.
