seed bill-dnr
TRANSCRIPT
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
