seed bill-dnr

Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

Chetana Society, Hyderabad

Protecting Farmers Interests in Seed

Policies and Legislation

Seed and plant material

Agricultural productionHigher yieldsFood securityQuality of cropCost of productionAgri-climatic conditions

STAKEHOLDERS

Farmers

Public

sector:

National

Public

Sector:

State

Seed

Farmers

Corporate

Sector:

MNCs

Private

sector-

domestic

Seed Progression

Nucleus Seed

Breeder Seed

Certified Seed

Foundation Seed

National Agricultural Research System

Public Sector Seed Production agencies

Multinational companies

Improved Product Mix

Higher Revenues

•Developing a particular variety•Used for multiplication

•Genetically pure•Source for foundation seed

•Public Sector•Private Sector•MNCs•Hybrids•Value-addition

•Marketing•Risk Management•Market Intelligence•Warehouse•Trademark

Types of Seeds

•Public•Domestic

Private•MNCs

Self Pollinated

Cross Pollinated

HybridsGenetically Modified

Public Sector

FarmersPublic sector

Seed Industry: Volumes

0

50

100

150

200

250

Total Seed

Production

Private sector

Seed Industry: Details

India – biggest seed market$920 million, or about Rs.5,000 crores

Domestic $900 million, exports $20 millionOpen pollinated seed market: around $ 118 million

Vegetable seed sector employment 7 lakhsLocal and unidentified varieties (farmer controlled) statistics are not known – probably 30 to 50%Highest seed market is cotton (80% hybrid): Rs.1870 croresNational Seeds Corporation, 196315 State seed corporations500 private seed companiesNational Seed Association of India (NSAI)

Seed Policies and Legislation

Enactment of the Seeds Act, 1966Seed Review Team-SRT (1968)National Commission on Agriculture’s Seed Group (1972)Seed Control Order (1983)New Policy on Seed Development (1988)National Seeds Policy (2002)The Seeds Bill (2004)Formulation of National Seed Plan (2005)

The Seeds Bill, now

NATIONAL SEEDS POLICY, 2002: THRUST AREAS

variety developmentplant variety protectionquality assuranceinfrastructure facilitiestransgenic plant varietiesimport and export

promotion of domestic private sector seed industrystrengthening of the monitoring system

SEEDS BILL, 2004: SALIENT FEATURES

Registration of kinds and varieties of Seeds etc.– Evaluation of performance– Compensation to Farmers– Registration of Seed Producers & Processing Units– Seed dealers to be Registered

Regulation of Sale of Seed and Seed Certification• Seed Analysis and Seed Testing• Export and Import of Seeds & Planting Material• Offences and Punishment

Farmers Public seed system

Private Seed Industry Seed Farmers

Seed Act

Seed

Farmers

• Market Price

• Assurance

• Credit, etc

Public seed

system

• Funds

• Research

• Protection of

germ plasm

• Food

production

Private seed

industry

• Assured

markets

• Subsidies

• Assured price

• Higher

margins

Farmers

• Seed price

control

• Quality

assurance

• Compensation

• Seed

replacement

rate (SRR)

• Freedom

Issues before Seed Bill

Quality assurance to farmers– spurious seeds– under performing seeds– non-performing seedsPrice Control• Share of seed in the cost of production is going upIncreasing yields• Productivity• Quality of produce

Issues before Seed Bill

Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bill– GM seed regulation (by which Act)– Can Seed Act deregister any GM seed?Field Contamination• Legal procedures for seed/varietal contamination in the fields• Quality of produce

Issues before Seed Bill

Informal sector• Seed propagation by farmers• Wild seedsProtection of germplasm• Patents• Privatisation of public properties

Suggestions

Provision for non-commercial seedexchange (barter, free, etc.)Quantitative restrictions (ex.1000

kgs) might be feasible on non-commercial exchangePublic monitoring of Seed

Registration process, including thedecisions of the Committee

Suggestions

Pricing of nucleus, breeding, foundation and certified seeds to be brought under Seed BillCompulsory Joint venture for

Foreign Direct investment (FDI)Compulsory registration of nuclear, breeder and foundation seed details with the National Register

Suggestions

Printing of expiry date on all commercial seed products, and punishment for violationsSpecify the procedure and criteria

for constitution of Registration CommitteeProvision for inclusion of farmers representatives on the Registration Committee

Suggestions

Regulation of seed, planting material and germplasm imports and exportsCompulsory field trials for imported seed registrationNo import of unregistered varietyProvision for liability of importer on violations, offences and punishmentRemoval of the ‘barter’ from the section ‘Offences and punishment’

Suggestions

Punishment should be more, for misbranded, spurious and non-conformity to standards of puritySelf-pollinating varieties should be

excluded from selective provisions of the ActOrganic method of seed production should be given encouragement in the Act

Suggestions

Environmental and labour standards should be part of the Act, for commercial seed productionSeed price monitoring should be

defined in the ActTransgenic and/or GM varieties in food crops should be discouraged, under Precautionary Principle

Thank YouFor suggestions and comments:

nreddy.donthi@gmail.com