Syllabus: GS-III & V: Agriculture

Why in the News?

The Draft Seeds Bill 2025 has been opened for public feedback, raising concerns among farmers—especially in the Northeast—about the possible erosion of seed sovereignty and restrictions on selling traditional seed varieties.

Key Features of the Draft Seeds Bill 2025

• The Bill mandates that no seed may be sold for sowing unless it is duly registered under the law.
• The only exemptions to mandatory registration are farmer varieties and seeds produced exclusively for export purposes.
• The Bill permits farmers to grow, save, exchange and sell unbranded seeds but does not allow them to sell their traditional seeds as branded seeds, limiting commercial opportunities.
• The Bill introduces a Central Accreditation System under which accredited multi-state companies will be automatically deemed registered, reducing state governments’ powers to regulate large seed corporations.
• The definition of “seed” in the Bill is significantly expanded to include tubers, grafts, bulbs, rhizomes, plantlets from tissue culture and all vegetatively propagated material across almost every crop category.
• The Bill requires Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) testing at multiple locations as a mandatory condition for registration, thereby raising entry costs for small seed producers.
  

Concerns Raised by Farmers and Experts

• The Bill may undermine the traditional seed systems of the Northeast by restricting the branding and sale of indigenous seeds that communities have preserved for generations.
• The requirement for multi-location testing and high infrastructure standards may push small seed collectives and farmer producer companies out of business because they cannot match the investment capacity of large corporations.
• Experts caution that relaxed import norms could facilitate the entry of genetically modified seeds, which may threaten the biodiversity of the ecologically sensitive Northeast region.
• The Bill risks creating an uneven playing field by giving automatic approval to centrally accredited companies.
  •  While subjecting state-level seed enterprises to stricter scrutiny and compliance requirements.
• The lack of widespread awareness about the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 (PPV&FR Act) may prevent farmers from effectively registering and protecting their traditional varieties.
• The Minister of Agriculture has himself acknowledged procedural complexities in the PPV&FR registration process, which makes it difficult for farmers to access the Act’s benefits.
  

Government’s Position

• The central government argues that the Bill will improve the availability of high-quality seeds and protect farmers from spurious and low-performing seed varieties.
• The government maintains that the Bill will introduce transparency and accountability across the seed supply chain and reduce crop losses for farmers.
• The Bill is expected to facilitate innovation, including advanced seed technologies, by allowing a more liberal regime for seed imports.
• The seed industry has welcomed the Bill because it reduces compliance burdens and decriminalises minor offences, making it easier for companies to conduct seed business.
  

Broader Implications

• The Bill may affect federal balance by shifting regulatory power toward the Centre and away from states, especially in seed registration and accreditation processes.
• The Bill may impact biodiversity conservation by enabling greater corporate control over seed markets and limiting the commercial growth of indigenous seed varieties.
• Without adequate safeguards, the Bill may compel small farmers to depend more heavily on large commercial seed brands.
  

Exam Hook – Mains Question

“Critically analyse the Draft Seeds Bill 2025 in the context of seed sovereignty, biodiversity conservation and Centre–State relations, with special reference to the Northeast.”

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