Two years after the government introduced the Seeds Bill in Parliament, farmers have threatened to launch a nationwide agitation if “provisions to ensure (their) rights” are not incorporated.

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.

Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary, leader of the Bharat Krishak Samaj, said at his behest, the panel proposed deletion of the latter part of Clause 43 (I) of the Bill which placed a rider on farmers’ saving seeds for reuse. He said: “In my personal view, farmers should be allowed to save and exchange any seed they cultivate — branded or unbranded.”

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.”

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