Government prepares draft Seeds Bill 2025 to replace 1966 act and 1983 order

• The Department/Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025.
• The Bill is intended to replace the Seeds Act, 1966.
• It is also intended to replace the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983.
• The Bill is aligned with current agricultural and regulatory requirements.
• The Bill aims:
  • to safeguard farmers’ rights.
  • to ensure transparency and accountability in seed supply chains.
  • to regulate seed quality.
  • to ensure farmers’ access to high-quality seeds at affordable rates.
  • to curb the sale of spurious seeds, where spurious seeds refer to fake, misbranded or low-quality seeds.
  • to protect farmers from losses caused by poor-quality seeds.
  • to promote ease of doing business in the seed sector.

Key Regulatory Provisions
A. Mandatory Registration of Seed Varieties

• The Bill proposes mandatory registration of all seed varieties.
  • Registration means official approval of a seed variety after evaluation of its claims.
• Section 13 states that no seed shall be sold for sowing or planting unless it is registered.
• Seed includes any propagating material used for sowing.
• The only exceptions are farmers’ varieties and varieties produced exclusively for export.
  • Farmers’ variety refers to seed varieties traditionally cultivated and developed by farmers.
• Existing varieties that were earlier notified under Section 5 of the Seeds Act, 1966 shall be deemed registered under the new law.
• The existing law of 1966 had no compulsory registration provision.

B. Quality Standards

• Seed varieties must conform to Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards (IMSCS).
  • IMSCS are national standards specifying minimum genetic purity, germination, physical quality etc.

Institutional Mechanisms

A. Central Seed Committee

• The Bill provides for the establishment of a Central Seed Committee.
• The Central Seed Committee will be constituted by the Central Government.
• Its headquarters will be located in New Delhi.
• The Committee will advise the government on seed programming and planning.
• It will also advise on seed development, seed production, seed storage, seed processing, and on seed export and import.

B. State Seed Committee

• State Seed Committees will be established by State Governments.
• Each State Seed Committee will consist of a Chairman.
• Each Committee will also include not more than 15 members appointed or nominated by the State Government.

C.Registration Sub-Committees

• Registration Sub-Committees will scrutinise claims of seed varieties.
• They will recommend kinds or varieties of seeds for registration.

D. National Register of Seed Varieties

• A National Register on Seed Varieties will be maintained.
• The Register will contain all kinds or varieties of seeds approved under the law.
• The Register will be under the control and management of the Registrar.

E. Seed Testing Infrastructure

• The Bill provides for Central Seed Testing Laboratories.
• It also provides for State Seed Testing Laboratories.
  • These laboratories will be equipped with Seed Analysts.
  • They will also be staffed with Seed Inspectors.
  • Seed Analyst refers to an expert who tests seed quality parameters.
  • Seed Inspector refers to an official who enforces seed laws and conducts inspections.

Offences and Penalties

A. Categorisation of Offences: Offences are categorised as trivial, minor, and major.

• Major Offences
  • Supplying spurious seeds
  • Supplying non-registered kinds or varieties
  • Conducting seed business without registration as a dealer, distributor, producer, seed processor or plant nursery is classified as a major offence.

 B. Penalties

• Major offences may invite a maximum penalty of ₹30 lakh.
• Major offences may also invite imprisonment of up to three years.
• The Bill aims to deter the sale of poor-quality seeds through strong penalties.

Legislative Background

• The Centre had previously introduced Seeds Bills in 2004 and 2019.
• These earlier Bills could not become law.