Govt to talk to farmer groups before proceeding with proposed new seed bill

The Centre will hold consultations with farmer organisations on the proposed new seed bill that seeks to crack down on the sale of fake, adulterated and substandard seeds, with Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expected to meet farmer union representatives from across the country on Thursday.

The consultation, scheduled at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi, comes ahead of the upcoming Parliament session and is being positioned as the final round of stakeholder engagement before the legislation is finalised.

According to the Centre, the new law aims to tighten regulation of the seed sector, curb the activities of what it describes as "seed mafias" and introduce stringent legal provisions against companies and traders found selling fake or poor-quality seeds.


The proposed legislation is expected to provide for heavy penalties and imprisonment for offenders while strengthening quality control and traceability across the seed supply chain.

The government argues that poor-quality seeds often result in crop failures, causing severe financial losses to farmers, and that the new law will establish a stronger regulatory framework to prevent such cases.

It also intends to safeguard farmers' rights over traditional seeds.

The consultation will bring together senior leaders of major farmer organisations, including Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, various factions of Bharatiya Kisan Union, All India Kisan Coordination Committee, Kisan Mahapanchayat, Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Gaon Kisan Unnayan and the Society for Independent Farmers Association.

Representatives from state-level farmer bodies - including Karnataka Raitha Sangha, Telangana Raitha Sangha, Maharashtra's Shetkari Sanghatana, Gujarat's Khedut Samaj, National Kisan Progressive Association from Rajasthan and Bihar, Tamil Nadu's Vivasayigal Sangam, Jharkhand's Pragatisheel Krishi Manch and a farmers' organisation from Kerala's Kottayam - are also expected to participate.

The agriculture ministry said the consultation is intended to incorporate farmers' feedback before the bill is introduced in Parliament. The proposed bill is expected to replace the existing legal framework with stricter quality standards, stronger enforcement provisions and greater accountability for seed producers and distributors, making it one of the government's key agricultural reform measures expected to come up in the upcoming session.