Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao convened a meeting at the Secretariat with members of the Draft Committee on the Telangana Seed Draft Act-2025. The Minister reviewed on Sunday the modalities of the proposed legislation, aimed at addressing longstanding gaps in seed regulation and protecting farmers from the menace of fake seeds.

During the meeting, the Minister emphasised that seeds are the foundation of agriculture and lamented the severe losses faced by farmers due to the proliferation of substandard and counterfeit seeds. He criticised the limitations of the existing Seed Act, 1966, and Seed Control Order, 1983, stating that seed companies have exploited legal loopholes for years. The Draft Committee was formed to rectify these issues and propose a robust legal framework.

Committee members outlined the shortcomings of the current law, including a lack of mandatory registration for seed varieties, the absence of price control mechanisms, and inadequate provisions for compensating farmers affected by poor-quality seeds. They noted that the law does not cover green bread seeds and fails to regulate ancillary aspects of seed production and distribution.

Minister Rao stressed the need for legal rigour and accountability, asserting that the law must ensure justice for every farmer, especially in cases of crop failure. He called for strict action against companies that release new seed varieties without adequate research and development. He also recalled the landmark Cotton Seed Act introduced during the Congress regime, which led to nationwide price regulation of Bt cotton packets.

The Minister affirmed that the Telangana Seed Draft Act would supplement existing laws and may be forwarded to the Centre if required. He urged a thorough legal review to ensure comprehensive protection for seed farmers.

The meeting was attended by Agriculture Department Director B Gopi, Seed Corporation Chairman Anvesh Reddy, Advocate Sunil Kumar, Seed Director M V Nagesh Kumar, ED Ramanjineyulu, Srinivas Reddy, and policy experts D Narasimha Reddy and K Siva Prasad.