Bill to pull up substandard seeds suppliers soon

Tough law on cards

- JITENDRA CHOUBEY @New Delhi

THE Centre is set to introduce a Seed Amendment Bill to the Seeds Act in the Winter Session of parliament. Intended to be farmer-friendly, it will ensure seed traceability and hold suppliers accountable for substandard seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, which significantly affect farmers' incomes and the country's food security.

The decision comes after Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, received numerous complaints about the poor quality of seeds, pesticides, and fertilisers during his 15-day 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' recently.

Chouhan stated. "The government will take strong measures to strengthen the Seed Act and implement stringent quality control mechanisms to ensure that only certified, high-quality inputs reach farmers."