Govt to tighten seed, pesticide laws after farmers' feedback

New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that the government will amend existing laws to further tighten regulations and ensure the availability of quality seeds and pesticides for farmers.

Addressing the media, the minister said that several farmers, during the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan — a pan-India outreach campaign — had voiced concerns over the quality of seeds and pesticides. 

The campaign was launched on May 29 from Puri in Odisha and concluded on June 12 in Gujarat's Bardoli. Officials engaged directly with 1.34 crore farmers across 1.43 lakh villages in 721 districts. A total of 60,281 programmes were conducted, including in tribal, aspirational and border districts.

Describing it as 'One Nation–One Agriculture–One Team', the minister said it was a collaborative effort between the Centre and states, involving 2,170 teams comprising 8,280 scientists from ICAR and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).

Discussions covered new research, crop advisories based on each district’s soil health and climatic conditions, and the benefits of natural and organic farming. Scientists will also conduct research based on farmers’ feedback, and innovations by progressive farmers will be popularised, he added.

Based on the feedback, Chouhan said the ministry has decided to tighten legislation on seeds and pesticides to curb the sale of substandard inputs. He also said that KVKs would be designated as nodal agencies in every district to enhance coordination among stakeholders.

On the sidelines of the press conference, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said efforts are underway to amend the Seeds Act, 1966, within a year. The ministry is also exploring ways to regulate non-certified seeds and increase penalties for violations under the Act. Similarly, the Insecticides Act, 1968, will be amended to curb the sale of spurious pesticides.

On the issue of crop damage caused by wild animals, the minister said farmers have suggested using modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence for crop monitoring and deterrent systems. The government is providing assistance under a scheme to create fencing that does not harm wildlife.