Ahead of 2004 bill, farmers turn up heat over seed rights

Some of their views were incorporated in the parliamentary panel report but farmers argue that the government needs to do more to safeguard their rights over seeds.

The government tabled the controversial Seeds Bill in the Rajya Sabha in December 2004, with the intention of facilitating greater entry of Corporates in the seed sector and making registration of seeds mandatory. The Bill was subsequently referred for review to the parliamentary standing committee on agriculture headed by Ram Gopal Yadav. The standing panel took about two years to review the Bill and recently submitted its report, following which the Union agriculture ministry is slated to re-introduce the Bill.

The House panel, noting that Plant Varieties Protection & Farmers’ Rights (PVP&FR) Act 2001 protects peasants’ rights over seed, said the act must be made fully operative first before implementing the proposed Bill. Besides, the panel exempted registration of seeds bred by farmers.

The UPA government’s Left allies have echoed similar sentiments. The general secretary of the CPI’s farmers’ wing, Atul Kumar Anjaan, said: “There is no need to hurry the passage of the Bill in Parliament. A long debate is necessary. There will be no adverse effect on farming if this Bill is not passed in its present form.”

Meanwhile, Dr Suman Sahai, convenor of the Gene Campaign, who deposed before the panel, alleged that “though the House panel included some major suggestions, it missed some vital points”. He said that disclosure of parentage should be made mandatory for companies when they register their seed varieties as this would prevent bio-piracy. He also sought a registration period for seeds on the lines of PVP&FR Act without scope for automatic extension.

Dr Vandana Shiva of Navdanya who also appeared before the House panel said that the recommendations on genetically modified (GM) crops are not stringent enough. The panel opposed the proposed provisional registration of GM seeds and also self-certification of seeds by seed companies, saying it would facilitate backdoor entry of unapproved GM seeds.