Hosted by Northern Seed Association
The Beej Samelan, organized at Jalandhar, Punjab, by the Northern Seed Association, brought together seed industry stakeholders, breeders, scientists, and farmer representatives to deliberate on critical policy issues shaping the future of Indian agriculture and the seed sector.
Addressing the gathering, the Northern Seed Association expressed its strong support for the upcoming Seed Bill, 2025, emphasizing that a progressive and balanced seed legislation is essential to enhance farmers’ productivity, profitability, and confidence. The Association highlighted that the proposed bill, if refined appropriately, can significantly encourage genuine seed companies while effectively curtailing the menace of spurious and sub-standard seeds in the market.
Key Recommendations and Views Placed During the Beej Samelan:
Compensation Clause Need for Parity with PMFBY
The Associatinn highlighted that no seed company has paid compensation to farmers in the last 20 years, underlining the practical challenges of direct compensation mechanisms.
It was proposed that the compensation clause in the Seed Bill 2025 should be aligned with the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) model, ensuring farmer protection through structured insurance rather than placing disproportionate liability on seed companies.
Conchesion The Northern Seed Association reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the Government of India, policymalees, and fartner organizations to ensure that the Seed Bill 2025 becomes a catalyst for farmer prosperity, seed industry growth, and national food security, while maintaining a fair, practical, and innovation-oriented regulatory environment.
Issued in public interest from Beej Samelan, Jalandhar, Punjab
Source : Northern Seed Association
Support to Seed Bill 2025
The Association welcomed the intent of the Seed Bill 2025, stating that it can act as a strong foundation for farmer welfare and seed sector growth, provided it remains innovation-friendly and business-enabling.
Simplified Registration & Listing of Seed Varieties
It was unanimously suggested that Registration and Listing of Seed Varieties should be based only on:
Valid Sued License
Aadhaar Card of the applicant
Morphological Characters of the variety
Indemnity Bond ensuring responsibility of the seed producer
This simplified framework would promote transparency, accountability, and faster introduction of improved varieties for farmers.
No Price Control on Seeds
The Association strongly opposed any form of price control on seeds, stating that modern seed development involves high-end research, long-term breeding programs, and advanced technology investments.
It was emphasized that due to such innovation-driven efforts by Indian seed companies, India has surpassed China to become the world’s largest producer of rice, and similar growth must be encouraged across other crops.
Removal of Imprisonment Clause Serious concern was raised regarding the proposed imprisonment provisions in the
upcoming Seed Bill. The Association stated that such clauses create fear and uncertainty
amang gemsine husinesses, discouraging investment and innovatinn It was strongly recommended that criminal penalties be removed, and regulatory issues be addressed through civil and administrative mechanisms instead.
