The Seeds Bill, 2004 Analysis

The Seeds Bill, 2004, is a bill introduced by UPA government of India to regulate the quality of seeds sold to Indian farmers.

Agenda Setting:

The issue on which they decided to decide was to regulate the seed market and ensure seeds of "quality"

Policy Issue:

It is a regulatory policy as it aims to regulate the quality of seeds and planting materials to ensure availability of quality seeds to the farmers and to curb sale of spurious and poor quality seeds.

Policy Model:

This act follows an incremental policy model. This is because this bill is created to fix the deficiencies of the 1966, Seeds Act. For example:

- To make the registration of varieties obligatory (previously voluntary)

- Creation of a comprehensive National Register of Seeds

- To regulate (make easier) the imports and exports of seeds

- New regulations on GM crops

- To improve market conditions for private seed companies

Policy Theory:

It is an elite theory model. Since, the people in the power like UPA government, big multinational seed companies, were the main proponents of this bill while this bill is not supported by the masses.

Policy Statements:

To solve issues which came up on their agenda they decided that the Central Seed Committee shall be responsible for and shall have all the powers for the effective implementation of this Act and shall advise the Central Government and the State Governments on matters relating to-:

(a) Seed programming and planning;

(b) Seed development and production;

(c) Export and import of seeds;

(d) Standards for registration, certification and seed testing;

(e) Seed registration and its enforcement

Policy Analysis:

The Bill has received some adverse comments. The most important criticism it has faced is that it biased towards big multinational seed companies. For example,

- Bill does not allow peasants to sells their seeds unless there seeds are registered (this is an indirect control of traditional seed exchange practices that has been the culture of the country for thousands of years.),

- Seed companies will not be prosecuted if their seeds fail (this may allow the big MNC firms to escape punishment even if their GM seeds contaminate the surrounding crops or fail to produce desired result if it is able to prove that it exercised all due diligence to prevent commission of such offence.) ,

- Certification and testing of seeds by private companies and institutions even outside the country (this considered the mockery of the seed certification mechanisms being talked about as private companies might setup such accredit institutions to certify their own seeds), etc

Another criticism, which has been pointed out is that there will be a more easy inflow of GM seeds in the Indian agriculture despite the fact that such seeds have been facing stiff opposition in European countries.

However, such issues are the biggest obstacles for the bill to get accepted by the people.

Policy Advocacy:

Some of the recommendations given were:

- It is mainly recommended to acknowledge the farmer’s right to exchange unbranded seeds among themselves.

- The Plant Varieties Protection & Farmers’ Rights (PVP&FR) Act 2001 should be made operative first, before implementing the proposed Bill and the Seeds Bill, 2004 should not undermine the provisions of PVP&FR Act.

- Thirdly, farmers should be exempted from any norms for saving and exchanging unbranded seeds.

- The law should strengthen the integrated growth of farmers and seed systems so that every farmer has access to quality planting materials at reasonable prices. In addition, the proposed Central Seed Committee should be given adequate powers to regulate seed prices.

- The new law should not undermine the existing procedure for assessment and release of GM seeds.

Conclusion:

Although, this bill is very crucial as it deals with agriculture sector of India, it has several loopholes, which need to sort out before it is being passed.