Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) In a bid to empower farmers and ensure the availability of high-quality seeds, Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne on Tuesday announced that the state will soon enact its own Seed Act.​

The proposed legislation will legally protect farmers, allowing them to store, use, exchange, and sell their own seeds (without using a branded name).​

The Act will also ensure farmers receive immediate compensation if crop failure occurs due to defective seeds, he stated.​

This decision delivers on the assurance given during the second monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislature in 2025.​

During a high-level meeting, Minister Bharne issued several directives to refine the bill, which focuses on farmer empowerment, immediate compensation, strict accountability, and strengthening Mahaveer, referring to the Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation (Mahabeej).​

He said the proposed legislation will legally safeguard farmers’ rights to trade self-produced seeds. It will have solid provisions to ensure farmers receive swift financial redressal if seeds are found to be sub-standard. It will also place responsibility for quality assurance on seed companies and impose harsh penalties on violators, while also emphasising improving the operational efficiency of the Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation (Mahabeej).​

He stated that while drafting this independent law, the companies must bear responsibility for quality.​

He aHe added that the government is also directing the establishment of Seed Grievance Redressal Cells at the district level. These Cells will support farmers. The new legal framework aims to modernise the entire seed supply chain through several technical interventions, including mandatory registration, traceability, seed health standards, and nursery regulations.​

He said that all seed producers, processing centres, distributors, sellers, and nurseries must be registered.​

He added that implementing QR codes on seed packets and a ‘Centralised Seed Traceability Portal’ will track seeds from production to sale. He further said that defining specific limits for viruses, bacteria, and fungi in seeds will ensure biological safety.​

He added that there will be a provision for compulsory nursery registration, requiring nurseries to maintain a “source register” for all saplings.​

Meanwhile, officials from the agriculture department confirmed that technical measures are already underway.​

The ‘Sathi’ portal has achieved 100 per cent registration of all seed-producing organisations.​

Starting from the Kharif 2026 season, the entire cycle of production, distribution, and sale of all seed types will be managed through this portal. This will ensure complete transparency and accountability.

–IANS

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