Government Releases Draft Seeds Bill 2025, Seeks Feedback by Dec. 11

Overview

• The draft law is intended to replace the Seeds Act, 1966 and the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983 to modernise seed regulation.
• Key aims include regulating seed and planting-material quality, ensuring affordable access for farmers, and curbing spurious or poor-quality seeds.
• Provisions propose liberalised seed imports to expand access to global varieties and strengthen transparency and accountability across supply chains.
• Minor offences would be decriminalised to ease compliance while serious violations would continue to attract stringent penalties.
• The draft and feedback format are available on agriwelfare.gov.in, with submissions invited at jsseeds-agri@gov.in; the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare prepared the draft and urges stakeholder input.