Draft Seeds Bill, 2025

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the draft Seeds Bill, 2025, inviting public comments. 

• The Bill proposes to overhaul India’s seed regulation framework, replacing the Seeds Act, 1966 and Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, to address modern agricultural practices and rising concerns over fake and poor-quality seeds.
• This is the third attempt to overhaul seed regulation since 1966, after earlier unsuccessful attempts in 2004 and 2019.

Objectives of the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025

• Regulate the quality of seeds and planting materials in the market.
• Ensure farmers’ access to high-quality seeds at affordable prices.
• Curb the sale of counterfeit, mislabelled, re-packed, and poor-quality seeds.
• Strengthen mechanisms to verify the originality and quality of seeds.
• Protect farmers from crop losses and debt due to spurious seeds.
• Align seed regulations with technological advancements and complex seed markets.

Key Regulatory Provisions

• Registration of Distributors/ Dealers: All dealers and distributors must obtain a valid registration certificate from the State Government before they can sell, stock, offer for sale, export, import, or supply seeds.
• Mandatory Registration of Seed Varieties: 
  • As per Section 13 bill, no seed of any kind or variety except farmers’ varieties or those produced exclusively for export can be sold for sowing or planting unless registered under Section 14(2).
  • Existing varieties already notified under Section 5 of the Seeds Act, 1966 will be deemed registered under the new law.
• Categories of Offences: The draft Seeds Bill classifies offences into three categories – Trivial Offences, Minor Offences and Major Offences
• Decriminalisation and Penalties:
  • Minor technical offences will be decriminalised to ease compliance for small-scale seed producers.
  • Serious major violations, including the deliberate manufacturing or commercial selling of spurious or non-registered seeds, will attract stringent financial penalties
• Seed Imports: The Central Government may permit import of an unregistered seed kind or variety for research and trial purposes, subject to conditions specified in the notification.
• Institutional Mechanism: The draft defines the constitution and roles of Central  and State Seeds Committee, which will coordinate implementation, standard-setting, seed regulation, and grievance redress.

Rationale for Stricter Rules

• Fake seeds often mimic popular branding and fail to germinate, Deliver lower yields, Causing financial distress to farmers.
• In 2024–25, of 2.53 lakh seed samples tested across 24 States/UTs, 32,525 samples were found sub-standard. 

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About Seeds Act, 1966

• Objective: To regulate the quality of seeds sold for agriculture, ensuring farmers get reliable, high-quality seeds.
• Key Provisions:
• • Regulates notified kinds/varieties of seeds: Only those seeds that are officially notified by the government come under the Act.
  • Minimum Seed Standards: The act specifies mandatory standards for germination, physical purity, genetic purity, packaging, and labelling.
  • Institutional Framework: The act provides for seed testing laboratories, seed analysts, and seed inspectors at state levels.
  • Seed Certification: Establishes voluntary seed certification. Certified seeds must meet prescribed quality standards.

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