Extensive consultations held on Seeds Bill; 14,000 suggestions reviewed, govt tells Rajya Sabha

Bathinda: Amid opposition from farmers, particularly in Punjab, to the proposed Seeds Bill, the Union govt on Friday said all stakeholder suggestions — including those from Punjab — had been examined and due procedure would be followed before finalising the legislation.Union minister of state for agriculture Ramnath Thakur on Friday said extensive consultations had been held with farmers' groups, seed experts, industry associations and state govts, including Punjab, on the proposed Seeds Bill. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha to Punjab-based member Vikramjit Singh Sahney, he said over 14,000 suggestions, comments and observations were received and examined after the draft Bill was placed in the public domain as part of the pre-legislative consultation process.The govt is aware of the representations and objections received from farmer organisations and state govts, including Punjab, regarding the draft Seeds Bill and its implications for farmers' traditional rights, he said, adding that these concerns were duly examined during the consultative process.It was stated that the draft bill provides for mandatory registration of seed varieties sold in the market to regulate the quality of seeds for sale, import and export by both public and private entities. The draft Bill proposes several safeguards to prevent exploitation of farmers, including explicit protection of farmers' rights to grow, sow, re-sow, save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seeds of registered varieties; exemption of farmers from penal provisions when seeds produced on their own holdings are sold or exchanged; mandatory onboarding on the Centralised Seed Traceability Portal, which is intended to strengthen transparency and accountability and help protect farmers from spurious or sub-standard seeds; application of nationally prescribed quality standards to all categories of seeds, including labelled seeds; provision for regulation of seed sale prices under emergent situations; and rationalised penalties to act as a deterrent against the sale of spurious seeds.The draft bill focuses on strengthening seed quality regulation and includes exemptions for farmers, traditional varieties and farmers' varieties. The combined effect of statutory protection of farmers' rights, strengthened quality assurance measures, and traceability-based accountability mechanisms is intended to support seed sovereignty, protect farmers' livelihoods and mitigate risks associated with sub-standard seeds.Vikramjit Singh Sahney asked whether the govt is aware of the objections raised by farmer organisations and state govts, including Punjab, regarding the proposed Seeds Bill and its implications for farmers' traditional rights; whether the bill proposes mandatory seed registration and greater participation of private seed companies and, if so, the safeguards envisaged to prevent exploitation of farmers; whether consultations were held with the Govt of Punjab and farmer stakeholders prior to finalising the Bill and, if so, the details thereof; and the steps taken to address concerns of farmers in Punjab and to ensure protection of seed sovereignty and farm livelihoods. MSID:: 127990690 413 |