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Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan consulted leaders of about 20 farmer organisations at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi on 10 September 2026 on a proposed new Seed Act.
The Seeds Act, 1966 and the Seeds Control Order, 1983 no longer cope with fake and substandard seed; about 70% of seeds fall outside the 1966 Act.
The proposal: mandatory registration of all seeds in a national register, a QR code on every packet, three tiers of offences with fines up to ₹30 lakh plus jail, and a Seed Security Fund in every State that pays compensation within 15 days.
Farmers' traditional varieties stay free to use, exchange and sell without mandatory registration; no deadline has been fixed for the law.
| Aspect | Seeds Act, 1966 | Proposed law |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Only notified kinds and varieties; about 70% of seeds outside it | All seeds and planting material in a national register; unregistered seed illegal to sell |
| Quality route | Compulsory labelling, voluntary certification | A QR code on every packet tracing origin, manufacturer, lab clearance and movement |
| Penalty | Up to ₹500 for a first offence; up to 6 months' jail and/or ₹1,000 fine for a repeat (Section 19) | Minor: warning, then up to ₹50,000. Deliberate (no QR code, data or branding lapses): ₹1 lakh, then ₹2 lakh. Serious (fake seed, unregistered business, fraud): up to ₹30 lakh plus jail |
| Farmer relief | No dedicated fund | A State-run Seed Security Fund financed by penalties; a verification committee ensures compensation within 15 days |
| Farmers' seed | — | Traditional varieties free to use, exchange and sell; registration voluntary; no digital registration for seed kept for own use or shared within the village |
Regulates the quality of seed sold through compulsory labelling and voluntary certification; Section 19 penalties have never been amended. It is the law the new Act would replace.
Issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955; covers seed dealer licensing and sale, filling gaps in the 1966 Act. It would also be subsumed.
Lets the Centre issue control orders on production, supply and distribution of essential commodities; seeds are regulated through it.
Protects breeders' rights over varieties; Section 39(1)(iv) lets farmers save, use, sow, resow, exchange, share or sell farm-saved seed, including of protected varieties, but NOT as branded seed. Implemented by the PPV&FR Authority (est. 2005, New Delhi).
A separate compensation route for farmers who buy failed seed.
National online system tracing each seed lot from breeder through processors and dealers to buyer using QR/bar-code tags; launched 19 April 2023 by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Apex agricultural research body that develops new crop varieties; set up 16 July 1929 as a registered society (as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research) on the Royal Commission on Agriculture's report; autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE).
Registers plant varieties and administers farmers' and breeders' rights under the 2001 Act; established 2005.
GS Paper 3 > Agriculture > Agricultural Inputs and Related Legislation
General Awareness > Economy > Agriculture
Tracking a seed lot from breeder to buyer, e.g. by QR code, so that liability can be fixed when seed fails.
A traditional variety that farmers have cultivated and evolved; under the proposal its registration stays voluntary.
A proposed State-managed fund, filled with penalties collected under the Act, used to compensate farmers for seed failure.