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In a major crackdown on fake and substandard seeds, the Union Government is set to bring in a stringent Seed Act. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has called a high-level meeting with farmer leaders from across the country on September 10 to discuss the proposed act.
The meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday at Krishi Bhavan. Ahead of the upcoming Parliament session, the Minister will hold direct dialogue with various farmer organisations on the Seed Act and overall agricultural development. Dozens of prominent farmer organisations from across India, including the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC), and South Indian Farmers Association (SIFA), are expected to take part in the dialogue. Shivraj Singh Chouhan will seek suggestions from farmer leaders on the draft of the proposed Seed Act and try to understand the ground realities.The new law is expected to have stringent provisions, including heavy fines and jail terms for those found selling fake and substandard seeds. Chouhan has for months signalled the government's intent to tighten seed-quality regulation with a new legislation. Earlier this year, Chouhan had described the proposed act as a historic step aimed at ensuring farmers' protection, seed quality and transparency across the system. Chouhan has stated the bill aims to stop fake seeds, add QR code traceability, and increase fines up to Rs 30 lakh. Chouhan said the existing Seed Act of 1966 belonged to an era without advanced technology or data systems. "We are now bringing a modern law based on traceability, digital records and accountability, so that no farmer is cheated in the future," he said. He added that the government's objective is to ensure that every farmer has access to quality seeds. "Good companies will be encouraged, and those who do wrong will face strict action. That is the essence of this law," he said.(ANI)
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