Seeds Bill 2025
Contents
Seeds Bill 2025:
Overview
The draft Seeds Bill 2025, released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in November 2025, represents a major overhaul of India’s seed regulatory framework. It aims to replace the outdated Seeds Act, 1966 and the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, which have governed seed quality and distribution for nearly six decades.
Key Features of Seeds Bill 2025
Quality and Registration Standards
The Bill mandates adherence to Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards covering germination limits, genetic purity, physical purity, seed health, and traits. All seed varieties, except farmers’ varieties and export-only varieties, must be registered with State governments, ensuring traceability and accountability.
Digital Traceability System
A landmark feature is the Centralized Seed Traceability Portal requiring Quick Response (QR) Codes on all seed containers. This modernizes seed quality control from paper-based to digital systems, directly addressing the crisis of spurious seeds in India.
Farmer Rights Protection
The Bill explicitly protects farmer seed sovereignty, allowing farmers to grow, save, use, exchange, and sell their own varieties—except under brand names. Farmers remain exempt from registration and penal provisions for seeds produced on their holdings.
Liberalised Imports
The Central Government may permit import of unregistered varieties for research and trials, promoting access to global germplasm and innovation.
Graded Penalty System
The Bill introduces three categories of offenses: Trivial, Minor, and Major. Major offences (spurious seeds, non-registered varieties, unlicensed dealing) attract strict penalties: fines up to ₹30 lakh and imprisonment up to three years. Minor offences are decriminalized to promote ease of doing business.
Central Accreditation System
Multi-state seed companies can obtain central accreditation, making them automatically eligible for State registration without rejection on technical or financial grounds. This incentivizes larger investments.
Earlier Seeds Legislation: Historical Context
Seeds Act, 1966
The original Act established basic quality control through pre- and post-marketing supervision, voluntary certification, and compulsory labeling of notified seed varieties. It created the Central Seed Committee to advise governments and set minimum germination and purity standards.
Seeds (Control) Order, 1983
Issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, this Order introduced dealer licensing requirements and appointed Seed Controllers for enforcement. Dealers needed government licenses to trade seeds, with inspection powers for officials to draw samples and check compliance.
Comparison: 1966 Act vs. 2025 Bill
| Aspect | Seeds Act 1966 | Seeds Bill, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Manual quality control via labeling and certification | Digital traceability with QR codes and centralized portals |
| Registration | Voluntary certification for notified varieties | Mandatory registration of all commercial varieties |
| Penalties | Uniform fines (₹500 first offence, ₹1,000 repeated) | Graded system: trivial, minor, major offences; major violations up to ₹30 lakh and 3 years imprisonment |
| Farmer Rights | Minimal explicit protection | Explicit protection to save, exchange, and sell own varieties |
| Dealer Registration | License-based under Seeds Control Order | Mandatory State government registration for all dealers |
| Seed Imports | Restricted to certified seeds meeting standards | Liberalized for research/trials; unregistered varieties permitted conditionally |
| Decriminalization | No provision | Minor offences decriminalized for ease of doing business |
Criticisms and Concerns
Farmer Apprehensions
Farmer organisations express concerns that the Bill is “pro-corporate” and may favor multinational seed companies over small farmers and indigenous seed systems. Historical resistance to 2004 and 2019 Bills—both withdrawn after protests—reflects deep distrust about dilution of farmers’ autonomy and potential monopolization by private corporations.
Seed Producer Concerns
Haryana seed producers halted supplies in April 2025, protesting that strict non-bailable offence provisions could lead to harassment of honest dealers and misuse by competitors. They argue the amendment contradicts the government’s “Ease of Doing Business” initiative (Jan Vishwas Act 2023), which aims to decriminalize minor offences and promote trust-based governance.
Biodiversity Loss
Critics argue mandatory registration may marginalize indigenous seed varieties and traditional farmers’ seed systems, threatening India’s agricultural biodiversity. The Bill reportedly fails to adequately distinguish between farmers’ varieties and commercial seeds, unlike the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FRA) Act, 2001.
Implementation Challenges
Concerns exist about uniform enforcement across States, requiring adequate seed testing labs and certification infrastructure. State-Centre coordination is essential since agriculture is a State subject, while seed regulation falls under central domain.
Compliance Burden for Small Producers
Mandatory registration may increase costs for small and traditional seed producers, potentially stifling indigenous seed diversity and entrepreneurship among marginal farmers.
Way Forward and Balancing Act
The Bill attempts to balance farmer protection with industry innovation through its graded enforcement approach and explicit farmers’ rights clause. However, its success depends on transparent stakeholder consultations, robust implementation mechanisms, and adequate testing infrastructure. The government invited comments until December 11, 2025, to address concerns before finalization and introduction in Parliament’s winter session
