Centre prepares draft Seed Bill to curb sale of inferior seeds in market

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 Seed 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.

The Bill comes at a time when Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has emphasised the need for a new law to prevent the sale of substandard seeds. The government had previously introduced two separate Seed Bills in 2004 and 2019, but both failed to become law.