DRAFT SEEDS BILL, 2025

NEWS

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the draft Seeds Bill, 2025, inviting public comments until December 11, 2025.
• Once enacted, it will replace the Seeds Act, 1966.

HIGHLIGHTS

Key Features of the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025

1. Mandatory Registration of Seed Varieties

• All seed varieties (except farmers’ varieties and seeds grown exclusively for export) must be registered before sale.
• Existing varieties notified under the 1966 Act will be deemed registered.
• This marks a shift from the earlier law, which did not mandate compulsory registration.

2. Classification of Offences

• The draft Bill categorises offences into:
  • Trivial
  • Minor
  • Major

3. Stringent Penal Provisions

Major Offences Include:

• Supplying spurious seeds.
• Selling unregistered seed varieties.
• Operating as a dealer, distributor, producer, seed processor, or nursery without proper registration.

Penalties Proposed:

• Fine up to ₹30 lakh.
• Imprisonment up to 3 years for major violations.

4. Objectives of the Bill

• To regulate seed quality for sale and import.
• To improve the production and supply of quality seeds.
• To ensure farmer protection from low-quality or fraudulent seeds.

5. Background

• Previous attempts to update seed legislation were made through Bills in 2004 and 2019, but neither became law.
• The 2025 draft aims to finally modernise India’s seed regulatory framework in alignment with contemporary agricultural needs.