Under the leadership of Punjab’s Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, the Punjab Seeds (Amendment) Bill 2025 was presented to the Punjab Cabinet in July 2025 and has now been passed by the Legislative Assembly on September 29, 2025. It will become law after receiving the approval of the Governor.
SNPNEWS.IN News Update, Sep 25: The issue of unauthorized seeds has been a long-standing problem in Punjab, causing farmers losses worth lakhs of rupees annually. Keeping this in mind, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann formed a committee under the Agriculture Minister to amend the Seeds Act 1966. The committee presented the Punjab Seeds (Amendment) Bill 2025 to the Punjab Cabinet in July 2025, which was approved by the Legislative Assembly on September 29. The bill will take the form of law after the Governor’s approval.
The Punjab Government has amended Section 19 of the Seeds Act 1966, making the production and sale of unauthorized seeds a non-bailable offense. The government claims this will address the long-standing issue of the sale and supply of substandard seeds to farmers.
Key Provisions of the Punjab Seeds (Amendment) Bill 2025:
For Companies:
First Offense: 1 to 2 years of imprisonment and a fine of ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
Repeat Offense: 2 to 3 years of imprisonment and a fine of ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
For Dealers or Individuals:
First Offense: 6 months to 1 year of imprisonment and a fine of ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh.
Repeat Offense: 1 to 2 years of imprisonment and a fine of ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
Previous Penalties: Earlier, the penalty for the first offense was a fine of ₹500, and for the second offense, a fine of ₹1,000 along with up to 6 months of imprisonment.
Legislative Discussion:
After Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian presented the bill in the Assembly, Congress MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh and Pargat Singh highlighted its shortcomings.
They emphasized that the State Seed Certification Agency should be empowered to properly certify seeds to protect farmers from fraud. While supporting stricter penalties for seed fraud, the Congress MLAs criticized the lack of mechanisms to assist farmers and the limited/weak research capacity of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, speaking in the Assembly, stated that the bill fulfills a long-standing demand of farmers. He noted that fake seeds cause annual losses worth lakhs, leading to crop failures. He instructed officials to visit dealers’ shops and raise awareness about which seeds can be sold and stored.
Opposition from Agro Input Dealers:
The Punjab Agro Input Dealers Association has opposed the inclusion of the offense as a cognizable crime in the bill. They argue that it will unfairly penalize dealers who sell sealed and certified seeds. They submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, demanding amendments.
The dealers have called for clarity in the amendments to ensure that only those who intentionally sell fake seeds are punished. The Agriculture Minister has assured that their suggestions will be considered.
Farmers’ and Unions’ Views:
Most farmers consider this bill essential for their protection, as it aims to curb losses due to substandard seeds. However, dealers have labeled it anti-business.
Some farmer unions, while acknowledging the bill’s potential to reduce losses, have not fully supported it and expressed concerns that strict regulations could affect seed supply.