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Centre prepares tougher seed law to safeguard farmers
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Thursday, 10 September, 2026, 15 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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The Government of India is preparing to introduce a stringent new Seed Act aimed at protecting farmers from losses arising from the sale and use of fake, adulterated and substandard seeds. The proposed legislation is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector and advance Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a prosperous and self-reliant farming community.
Ahead of finalising the proposed legislation, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan will hold a high-level consultation with senior representatives of major farmer organisations from across the country on September 10 at 4:00 PM at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
The consultation, convened by Chouhan, is intended to bring farmers’ ground-level experiences, concerns and suggestions directly into the proposed seed legislation. The government aims to establish a robust regulatory framework to curb the activities of seed mafias and protect farmers against fraudulent and poor-quality seeds.
The proposed Seed Act is expected to prescribe stringent legal action against companies, traders and other entities involved in the manufacture and sale of fake, adulterated or substandard seeds. The provisions are expected to include heavy financial penalties and imprisonment for offenders.
Poor-quality seeds can result in crop failures and cause farmers to lose months of income, as well as the time, effort and resources invested in cultivation. Against this backdrop, the government has emphasised the need for the proposed legislation to ensure high standards of seed quality and establish a transparent, end-to-end traceability mechanism.
The proposed framework is also expected to safeguard farmers’ rights over traditional and indigenous seeds while strengthening accountability across the seed supply chain.
The September 10 consultation will bring together farmer representatives from across the country. Senior representatives of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, various factions of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC), Kisan Mahapanchayat, Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Gaon Kisan Unnayan and the Society for Independent Farmers Association (SIFA) are expected to participate.
Farmer representatives from several states will also present their views before the Union Agriculture Minister. These include representatives of the Karnataka Raitha Sangha, Telangana Raitha Sangha, Maharashtra’s Shetkari Organisation, Gujarat’s Khedut Samaj, the National Kisan Progressive Association from Rajasthan and Bihar, Tamil Nadu’s Vivasayigal Sangam, Jharkhand’s Pragatisheel Krishi Manch and a farmers’ organisation from Kottayam in Kerala, among others.
Chouhan has reiterated that, under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is committed to developing policies through dialogue, consultation and consensus with farmers.
The consultation, being held ahead of the upcoming Parliament session, is expected to be an important step towards strengthening India’s seed regulatory framework and protecting farmers from the persistent threat posed by fake, adulterated and substandard seeds.
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