Punjab hybrid rice ban to cost farmers up to ₹10k per acre: FSII
The Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) on Tuesday sought Centre's intervention in the Punjab government's ban on hybrid paddy seeds, warning of significant income losses for farmers as the kharif sowing season approaches.
FSII chairman Ajai Rana said the April 7 ban could reduce farmers income by ₹8,000-10,000 per acre.
The Punjab government prohibited hybrid rice cultivation citing groundwater depletion concerns and alleged poor milling recovery. However, FSII disputes these claims, stating hybrid varieties offer higher yields, conserve water and reduce stubble burning.
'FSII has filed side-by-side milling results from Punjab Agriculture University, ICAR multi-location trials and the IRRI Grain Quality Lab: hybrids posted 70–72.5 per cent total milling recovery and more than 60 per cent head-rice, comfortably above FCI norms,' Rana said.
The industry body has approached both Punjab authorities and the Union agriculture ministry while also filing a petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court.
Justice Kuldeep Tiwari has asked the state government to justify the legal basis for the ban.
Rana argued that under the Seed Act, 1966, and provisions of Seed Control Order, 1983, states cannot prohibit centrally approved seeds. 'State governments can regulate quality but cannot prohibit the sale of centrally approved seeds,' he said.
The ban has created uncertainty for farmers who rely on hybrid rice varieties, particularly in the Malwa region where saline soils benefit from these adaptable seeds.
Seed dealers who have already invested in hybrid rice purchases also face significant financial losses.
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