On November 12, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare announced the draft Seeds Bill, 2025, a proposed legislation for quality, sale and certification of seeds.
The bill seeks to “regulate the quality of seeds”, “curb the sale of spurious seeds”, and “liberalise import of seeds” while “protecting the rights of the farmers”, the agriculture ministry stated in a press release. Ajai Rana, Chairman of the Federation of Seed Industry of India, which represents multinational seed companies in the country, welcomed the draft bill, calling it “a timely and much-needed step toward modernising India’s seed regulatory framework.”
However, critics of the bill argue that it ultimately favours seed companies over farmers. They also argue that it is heavily centralised, undermining the authority of state governments.
Researchers and industry experts have long demanded reforms to the Seeds Act of 1966 to address changes in the commercial seed trade over the last six decades. Currently, the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, under the Essential Commodities Act, helps circumvent the deficiencies of the ageing Seeds Act.
There have been prior attempts by both the United Progressive Alliance and National Democratic Alliance governments to pass new legislation to regulate commercial seed trade in the country in 2004 and 2019, respectively.
New provisions
One of the main new provisions in the bill…
Source: India’s new Seeds Bill vows modern reforms but critics say it favours corporations over farmers
