Legislative Amendments
Govt likely to amend Seeds Act by Winter Session of Parliament - farm secy
This story was originally published at 14:34 IST on 18 June 2025
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--Farm secy: Likely to amend Seeds Act by Winter Session of Parliament
NEW DELHI – The agriculture ministry is likely to present a bill proposing amendment to the Seeds Act, 1967 by the Winter Session of Parliament, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Devesh Chaturvedi said. The ministry is also working on amending the Insecticides Act, he said on the sidelines of Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan event in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The (Seeds) Act will be revamped to protect farmers against spurious seeds, promote quality seed supplies, and ensure traceability, Chaturvedi said. "There is an urgent need to amend the act. Our farmers are being defrauded with uncertified seeds. We will make sure all seeds become traceable," Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said while speaking at the event.
The amendements will also focus on a substantial increase in the fines levied on uncertified seeds. "Currently, only about INR 500-INR 1,000 is charged when such seeds are caught. We are looking to raise this substantially," Chaturvedi said.
The Seeds Act regulates the quality of seeds available for sale in the market. The legislation has been amended multiple times to improve seed quality and ensure access to high-quality seeds for farmers.
Under the existing provision, certification of a seed is not mandatory while private players are currently selling seed as "truthfully labeled". This type of seed does not come under the purview of the Department of Seed Certification. The proposed amendment to the legislation would ensure punishment and higher fines to those involved in selling fake, adulterated or low-quality seeds and insecticides, the secretary said. End
Reported by Pallavi Singhal
Edited by Tanima Banerjee
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