Chouhan to Consult Farm Bodies on Draft Seed Bill

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will on Thursday hold a high-level consultation with major farm bodies on the proposed seed law to address the sale of fake and substandard seeds.

The consultation to be held at Krishi Bhawan here aims to incorporate farmers' ground-level experiences, suggestions and concerns before finalising the proposed legislation.

The draft Seeds Bill, 2025, seeks to replace the Seeds Act, 1966, and the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, to align India's seed laws with current agricultural needs.


Representatives from 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) will participate in the meeting, an official statement said.

Representatives from 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 will also be present.

Among key provisions, the proposed draft bill is expected to provide for stringent legal action against companies and traders involved in the sale of fake, adulterated or substandard seeds, including heavy penalties and imprisonment.