New Delhi, 16 January (H.S.): Decisive steps are being taken through the Seeds Act 2026 to provide every farmer with safe, reliable, and high-yielding seeds. The Central Government is set to introduce a bill incorporating three major changes based on stringent provisions.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated during a media interaction on Friday that the penalty provisions in the outdated 1966 Seeds Act are severely inadequate. There was a pressing need for a strict law to protect farmers from spurious and fake seeds and to impose harsh punishments on those deliberately selling them, he said. He added that dealers selling fake or substandard seeds will face rigorous action and steeper fines than before.

We aim to ensure that farmers receive only high-quality seeds.

The Minister elaborated that the new Seeds Act will strengthen public institutions (ICAR, agricultural universities) and producers of high-quality indigenous seeds. At the same time, rigorous evaluation norms will apply to foreign seeds.

Seeds imported from abroad will be approved only after thorough scrutiny and evaluation. We will bolster our public and domestic private sectors to deliver quality seeds to farmers, he emphasized.He highlighted government initiatives like the 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' to raise awareness, where scientists, officials, and progressive farmers visit villages to educate growers.

All 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across the country will play a pivotal role in informing farmers about seed quality, selection, and grievance redressal.

The Minister clarified that agriculture remains a state subject, with states retaining their authority. The Centre will only coordinate, implementing the law with state cooperation. Our goal is to provide quality seeds to every farmer, incentivize good companies, and crack down harshly on wrongdoers, he asserted.

Through the Seeds Act 2026, the government is taking a landmark step to guarantee safe, trustworthy, and productive seeds for every farmer.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar