Draft Seeds Bill ready to curb sale of inferior seeds

New Delhi: The Centre is set to introduce legislation aimed at regulating the quality of seeds and planting materials in the market, while also addressing the sale of substandard and counterfeit seeds by replacing the existing Seeds Act, which has been in place for 60 years.

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has prepared a draft of the Seeds Bill, 2025, and has invited public comments before finalising it for introduction in Parliament, according to a statement on Thursday.

The deadline for submitting the feedback is December 11. The Bill is designed to be “aligned with current agricultural and regulatory requirements”, the ministry stated. “The proposed legislation is intended to replace the existing Seeds Act, 1966, and the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983,” the ministry said in a statement.

The draft Seeds Bill, 2025, intends to regulate the quality of seeds and planting materials available in the market, ensure farmers have access to high-quality seeds at affordable prices, curtail the sale of inferior and fake seeds, protect farmers from losses, liberalise seed imports to promote innovation and access to global varieties, and safeguard the rights of farmers, all while ensuring transparency and accountability in seed supply chains.

“On the enforcement side, the draft Bill proposes to decriminalise minor offences, thereby promoting Ease of Doing Business and reducing compliance burden, while maintaining strong provisions to penalise serious violations effectively,” it said.