Government to tighten regulations governing seeds, pesticides amid quality-related complaints: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
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Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the government plans to tighten regulations governing seeds and pesticides. The government may also look to amend existing laws to ensure the supply of quality agricultural inputs to farmers, added Chouhan while briefing the media about the outcome of the 15-day long Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan -- a nationwide outreach campaign aimed at engaging with the farming community."We have received numerous complaints regarding sub-standard seeds and pesticides. Therefore, there is a pressing need to strengthen the Seeds Act , and we are actively working in that direction. Our goal is to establish a robust system that ensures farmers have reliable access to high-quality seeds and can fully benefit from them," said Chouhan.The campaign was launched on May 29 from Puri, Odisha and concluded on June 12 at Bardoli, Gujarat.The Minister noted that several farmers had raised concerns about the quality of seeds and pesticides during the campaign. Chouhan said, based on the feedback, the agriculture ministry has decided to tighten regulations on seeds and pesticides to curb the sale of sub-standard inputs.Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, also said on the sidelines of the event that the government is aiming to soon amend the Seeds Act to ensure seed traceability, protect farmers and promote the supply of quality seeds. The Seeds Act, 1966, regulates the quality of seeds available for sale in India. It has been amended several times to enhance seed standards and ensure farmers have access to high-quality planting material.A senior official of the Agriculture Ministry said that the Bill, in this regard, will most likely be introduced during the Winter Session of Parliament.Similarly, the Insecticides Act, 1968 would be amended to curb sale of spurious pesticides.Meanwhile, Chouhan said, 'Many valuable suggestions came from our farmers, and we will try to keep them in mind while framing plans and policies.On the scope of further strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) as alternatives to traditional agricultural markets (mandis), Chouhan said the government would revamp existing FPO guidelines and ensure increased funding support.Regarding Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Chouhan stated that adequate extension reforms would be implemented to upgrade KVKs as district-level nodal centres. Additionally, new action plans will be introduced to bridge knowledge and skill gaps among farmers.Meanwhile, briefing the media about the campaign, Chouhan said, 'The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan was very successful. We directly engaged with 1.34 crore farmers across 1.43 lakh villages in 721 districts.' He added that a total of 60,281 programmes were conducted, including in tribal, aspirational, and border districts.
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