India consults farmers on new seed and pesticide laws

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held consultations with about 20 farmer organisations at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi on September 10, 2026, on draft legislation to replace India's decades-old seed and pesticide laws, and said further discussions will continue before the Bills are tabled in Parliament. The proposed Seeds Bill, 2025 would replace the Seeds Act, 1966 and the Seeds Control Order, 1983. Chouhan said the existing laws are outdated given changes in technology, the private sector's role and trade, and that new legislation is needed to address problems with substandard seeds and pesticides. According to the minister, the Agriculture Ministry received about 18,000 suggestions on the draft Seeds Bill from farmers and farmer organisations, with the deadline for submissions falling on December 11, 2025. The draft Bill proposes compulsory registration of seed varieties, producers and dealers, with exceptions for traditional farmer varieties, and QR codes on packets for traceability. Penalties would rise sharply, with fines of up to Rs 30 lakh and imprisonment for major offences, while minor violations would be decriminalised.