Agri Experts Slam Centre’s Draft Seeds Bill, State Seeks Guarantees For Farmers

The Union agriculture ministry on November 12, 2025, released the draft law proposing to amend the Seeds Act, 1966. The government said the law was aimed at strengthening quality control, following reports of widespread circulation of fake seeds causing losses to farmers. The Center has invited public feedback and comments on the draft by December 11 after receiving representatives from farmer bodies and state governments.

The draft bill proposes mandatory registration of all seed varieties sold commercially, both public and private, based on Cultivation and Value for Use (VCU) performance. It also offers QR code-based traceability and stricter standards for germination and seed health.

The bill states that farmers can continue to save, trade and sell farm-saved seeds, except for branded varieties. It also proposes compensation mechanisms for underperforming registered seeds and provides penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment in cases of fraud. A central seed committee has been proposed to oversee a district-based regulatory system to facilitate interstate trade and accreditation agencies at the national level to facilitate interstate trade, while allowing imports of tested seed varieties.

But farmers’ organizations and some state governments have expressed concerns that the bill centralizes regulatory powers and does not adequately address compensation for crop losses caused by faulty seeds. Experts also warned that the proposed framework could undermine traditional practices and indigenous seed varieties.

Farmers in rain-fed regions of south India, including Telangana, rely on locally adapted varieties of paddy and millet. Critics argue that increased reliance on monohybrid seeds could lead to genetic erosion and greater dependence on commercial seed suppliers, which could put additional financial pressure on smallholders.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also expressed objections to the bill, while Samyukta Kisan Morcha alleged that the proposed law could open the door to genetically modified seeds and does not provide an effective grievance redressal mechanism for small farmers, who constitute the majority of landowners.

In Telangana, the state government, agricultural university experts and farmer unions have demanded amendments to the bill. Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said states would have limited powers to implement the law without clear provisions.

“The Center is restricting our rights by encroaching on state matters. For farmers at the local level in local areas with local weather conditions, local governments should have control over this issue,” he said during consultations with state-level stakeholders on the draft bill.

The state government is demanding clear compensation provisions for farmers affected by crop losses due to faulty seeds, more regulatory powers for states and measures to tackle the problem of fake seeds. Telangana accounts for over 40 per cent of India’s seed production but also faces problems with fake seeds.

Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University vice-chancellor Aldas Janaiah gave a presentation highlighting 13 concerns in the draft bill, including reliance on data generated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for seed registration.

“State seed committees should register varieties tested locally for at least one season and require mandatory certification by recognized bodies for marketed seeds,” he said, also recommending minimum educational qualifications for seed dealers, state powers for emergency price regulation and two-year multi-location trials for imported seeds.

Telangana Kisan Congress president S. Anvesh Reddy made suggestions to the Centre, stating that seeds respond to agro-climatic conditions rather than administrative boundaries. He suggested that registration should occur primarily at the state level, with varieties tested in more than one agro-climatic zone being recognized as national varieties.

Farmers’ organisations, including the All India Kisan Sabha, opposed the draft law, claiming that it would increase farmers’ input costs and weaken the role of the public sector, while strengthening corporate control over the seed sector.

National vice president Sarampally Mallareddy criticized the draft law and said farmers in Telangana already suffer losses on nearly five lakh acres every year due to fake seeds. He also claimed that the draft does not provide time-bound compensation to affected farmers and puts the burden of proof on growers seeking assistance.

Invoice Guarantees and Opposition Concerns

Invoice Guarantees

1. Mandatory registration for VCU tests for quality seeds

2. Compensation for underperforming registered seeds

3. Farmers can save/exchange unbranded farm stored seeds

4. QR codes and traceability against fake seed prints

5. District-based committees for interstate commerce

6. Fraud penalties (fines up to imprisonment)

Concerns of farm bodies and state governments

1. No mechanism to rescue affected farmers

2. It becomes a burden on small farmers

3. It erodes traditional practices by forcing reliance on expensive branded hybrids

4. Centralizes control by taking away the rights of the state

5. Risks of untested imports/GM seeds threatening biodiversity and food sovereignty

6. Enables biopiracy of indigenous varieties