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The Seeds Bill, 2004 - Legislative Brief [2004] INPRSLS 2 (9 December 2004)

Legislative Brief

The Seeds Bill, 2004

The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on December 9, 2004.

It has been referred to the Standing Committee on Agriculture (Chair: Prof Ram Gopal Yadav).

Highlights of the Bill

Key Issues and Analysis



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M R Madhavan

madhavan@prsindia.org



Kaushiki Sanyal

kaushiki@prsindia.org

May 31, 2006



Parliamentary Research Service Centre for Policy Research Dharma Marg Chanakyapuri New Delhi – 110021

Tel: (011) 2611 5273-76, Fax: 2687 2746



PART A: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BILL

Context

Agricultural growth in India averaged just 2.8% per annum during the period of 1991-2005, much lower than the average annual GDP growth of 6.2% during this period. Given that about two-thirds of the country’s population is dependent on farm related income, increasing agricultural growth rate will be beneficial not just for the country’s food security but also for improving the livelihood of a large proportion of the population. Availability of good quality seeds to farmers is a necessary condition for boosting agricultural output.

Currently, the seed sector is governed by the Seeds Act, 1966, the Seeds Control Order, 1983 (under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955), and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 (PPVFR Act). The Seeds Act, 1966 regulates the quality of certified seeds; the Seeds Control Order, 1983 regulates and licenses the sale of seeds; and the PPVFR Act protects the intellectual property rights of plant breeders.

The seeds sector has witnessed many changes since 1966 when the existing Seeds Act was passed. These include new technologies such as genetically modified seeds, and the entry of private and foreign seeds companies. In order to address these changes, the proposed Seeds Bill, 2004 seeks to replace the Seeds Act, 1966. The principal changes include regulation and registration of all seeds to be sold (instead of only notified kinds), provisions for self-certification and accreditation of private seed testing laboratories, and regulation of transgenic seeds1.


Key Features

The Bill aims to promote the production and supply of quality seeds. It will regulate the quality of seeds for sale, import and export. The proposed Act would replace the Seeds Act, 1966.

Registration and Certification

Rights of Farmers

Regulatory Structure

Import and Export

Penalties



PART B: KEY ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

The Seeds Bill, 2004 should be seen in the context of the Seeds Act, 1966 which it replaces, and the PPVFR Act, 2001. The main objective of the Seeds Bill is to ensure availability of quality seeds to farmers. The proposed Bill seeks to update the existing Act in order to address changes in technology and the structure of the seeds sector. The PPVFR Act sets up a framework to protect the intellectual property rights of breeders, while safeguarding the rights of farmers. We list below the main changes in the Seeds Bill 2004 from the Seeds Act, 1966.

Table 1: Comparison of Seeds Act, 1966 and Seeds Bill, 2004


Seeds Bill, 2004

Seeds Act, 1966

Definitions

Agriculture” includes horticulture, forestry, cultivation of plantation, medicinal and aromatic plants.

Agriculture” includes horticulture.


Definitions of “Seed” and “Variety” have been changed to make them more specific and technical.



Defines terms such as “Dealer”, “Essentially Derived Variety”, “Extant Variety”, “Farmer”, “Horticulture Nursery”, “Misbranded”, “Spurious Seed”, and “Transgenic Variety”.

Does not define these terms

Registration

All seeds for sale must be registered.

Only varieties notified by the government need to be registered.

Seed Committee

Constitutes Central and State Seed Committees. A Registration Sub-Committee would register seeds of all varieties.

Constitutes Central Seed Committee. The central government, after consulting with the CSC, may notify a seed in order to regulate the quality of seed.

Transgenic Varieties

Special provisions for registration of transgenic varieties of seeds.

No provision for transgenic varieties of seeds.

Compensation to Farmers

Provides for compensation to farmers under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 in the event of under performance of seeds.

No specific provision for compensation mentioned in the Act.

Export and Import

All seed imports are regulated by the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003 or any corresponding order of the Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914; shall conform to minimum limits of germination etc. Exports can be restricted if it adversely affects the food security of the country.

A person is restricted from exporting or importing notified variety of seed unless it conforms to minimum limits of germination etc.

Penalties

Any person who contravenes any provisions of the Act or imports, sells or stocks seeds deemed to be misbranded or not registered, can be punishable by a fine of Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000. The penalty for giving false information is a prison term up to six months and/or a fine up to Rs 50,000.

Any person who contravenes any provisions of the Act, prevents a Seed Inspector from taking samples etc. shall be punished for the first offence with a fine which may extend to Rs 500. If the offence is repeated he may be imprisoned for a maximum term of six months and/or fined up to Rs 1,000.



There are several contradictions and overlaps between the PPVFR Act and the Seeds Bill, 2004. We list these below. Unless these are reconciled and there is clarity on which of these two legislations will supercede the other in cases of conflict, there would be scope for litigation.

Table 2: Comparison of Seeds Bill, 2004 and PPVFR Act, 2001


Seeds Bill, 2004

PPVFR Act, 2001

Definitions

Farmer” means any person who cultivates crops either by cultivating the land himself or through any other person but does not include any individual, company, trader or dealer who engages in the procurement and sale of seeds on a commercial basis.

Farmer” means any person who cultivates crops by cultivating the land himself or cultivates crops by directly supervising the cultivation or land through any other person; or conserves and preserves, severally or jointly, with any other person any wild species or traditional varieties or adds value to such wild species or traditional varieties through selection and identification of their useful properties.

Registration

Establishes a Registration Sub-Committee, which would maintain a National Register of Seeds.

Establishes a Plant Varieties Registry, which would maintain a National Register of Plant Varieties.


No specifications regarding parentage of variety.

Specifies details under which a variety may be registered such as a complete passport data of the parental lines from which a variety has been derived.


Registration is for 15 years for annual/biennial crops and 18 years for long duration perennials. On expiry, registration can be renewed for a similar period.

Registration is for 15 years for annual/biennial crops and 18 years for long duration perennials. Registration cannot be renewed.

Farmers’ Rights

A farmer can save, use, exchange, share or sell his farm seeds and planting material. He cannot sell seeds under a brand name. Seeds sold have to conform to the minimum limit of germination, physical purity, genetic purity prescribed by the Act.

A farmer is entitled to save, use, sow, resow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under the Act in the same manner before this Act came into force. He cannot sell branded seed of a variety protected under the Act.

Compensation

The seed producer, distributor or vendor will have to disclose the expected performance of a particular variety of seed under certain given conditions. If the seed fails to perform to expected standards, the farmer can claim compensation from the dealer, distributor or vendor under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

If a breeder of a propagating material of a variety registered under the Act sells his product to a farmer, he has to disclose the expected performance under given conditions. If the propagating material fails to perform, the farmer can claim compensation in the prescribed manner before the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority.

Penalties

Any person who contravenes any provisions of the Act, prevents a Seed Inspector from taking samples etc. shall be punished for the first offence with a fine up to Rs 500. If the offence is repeated he may be imprisoned up to six months and/or fined up to Rs 1,000.

Penalty for applying false denomination to a variety is imprisonment up to two years and/or a fine between Rs 50,000 and Rs five lakh. Penalty for falsely representing a variety as registered is imprisonment up to three years and/or a fine between Rs one lakh and Rs five lakh or both. Penalty for subsequent offence is imprisonment up to three years and/or a fine between Rs two lakh and Rs 20 lakh.



Protection of Farmers’ Rights

Exemption for farmers

This Bill exempts a farmer from compulsory registration of seed varieties in order to use, exchange, share or sell his farm seeds or planting material. However, it stipulates that he cannot sell any seed under a brand name. Also, any seed sold by a farmer has to conform to the minimum limits of germination, and physical and genetic purity as applicable to commercially sold seeds. This last proviso (minimum standards of germination and purity) could be difficult to implement. It is estimated that seeds saved and exchanged by farmers constitute above 80% of the seeds planted1, and there would be a need to establish the physical infrastructure required to test these. Such testing would also lead to an increase in the cost of seeds.

In contrast, The PPVFR Act, 2001, only restricts the farmer from selling branded seed. There is no other requirement for a farmer to sell seeds. The exemption clause given in the PPVFR Act is easier to implement2.

Compensation

The farmer has to approach the Consumer Courts to claim compensation if the seeds do not perform to expected levels. There is a contradiction between this provision and the PPVFR Act which permits farmers to claim compensation through the Authority set up under that Act. Given the number of factors (such as climate, fertilizer, water) that affect the performance of a crop, it may be difficult to prove that underperformance of a crop was on account of poor quality of seed. Indeed, there have been recent cases where the issue has not been fully resolved3. Furthermore, it is not clear whether the compensation would include the value of the crop or only the cost of the seed4.

Registration and Certification

Exclusivity

Only those varieties of seeds that are registered may be sold. The Bill does not clarify whether a seed producer may sell seed which is registered by a different producer. The absence of a non-exclusivity requirement could lead to a monopoly on existing and common varieties by the first mover on any registration. Issues regarding intellectual property rights may be addressed through the provisions of the PPVFR Act.

Disclosure of Parentage

The Bill leaves it to regulations to specify the information that an applicant has to furnish, such as data about the source and geographical origin, in order to register a seed variety. It might lead to a situation where seeds could be registered without disclosing the parentage or origin of the seed. Although the PPVFR Act, 2001, makes it mandatory for the applicant to issue specific details about the parental lines of a variety, it is not clear which legislation would take precedence in case of conflict. In such a case, an applicant might be able to register a variety of seed which has traditionally been used by a farmer (i.e., farmers’ variety). The Bill also does not have the provision of benefit sharing2 (as mentioned in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the PPVFR Act), in which case any applicant can register and use a farmer’s variety of seed without compensating the farmer.5

Traceability and Quality Assurance

The Bill does not provide for a mechanism to trace back a packet of seed to the dealer, processor and producer. Also, there is no specification of quality assurance systems. This would make it difficult to trace back a defective lot, and rectify any deficiencies in the supply chain.

Transgenic Varieties

The Bill forbids the use of any technology that may be harmful or potentially harmful, and includes “genetic use restriction technology” and “terminator technology”3 in the definition of “technology”. It is not clear whether both these technologies are explicitly banned in this Bill. A farmer planting seeds containing terminator technology cannot use the seed from his crop for the next generation, and has to purchase new seed every season. The PPVFR Act, 2001 does not permit registration of any variety containing terminator technology.

Self Certification and testing before registration

Seed producers would be permitted to self-certify the performance of their seeds under certain conditions. The seed companies need to provide the results of multi-locational trials before registration. This opens up the possibility of false declaration by seed companies. To prevent this, there could be a case for allowing only government agencies to conduct these trials and grant certification.

Horticulture Nurseries

Every horticultural nursery has to be registered with the state government and has to maintain records of layout plan, source of every planting material etc. The argument is that performance of horticultural planting material (such as mango) is known only after a number of years, and these trees are harvested for a number of years. The investment and risk for the farmer is significantly higher than in the case of one-season grain, and this justifies stricter norms. That said, nurseries in the unorganized sector may find it difficult to adhere to these conditions.

Role of Seed Inspectors

The Seed Inspector has the power to enter and search as well as break open container or break open doors, without a warrant. This is different from the provisions under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 under which a warrant signed by the district magistrate, sub-divisional magistrate or first class magistrate is necessary for search and seizure.

Penalties

The penalty for selling substandard seeds is between Rs 5,000 and Rs 25,000. This may not prove to be a deterrent for a large seed company but which may be significant for a farmer or a small dealer.

Finances

The financial memorandum estimates that Rs 36 lakh may be required to meet the recurring and non-recurring expenditure during the financial year 2004-05. It does not estimate the expenditure that would be required to establish central and state testing laboratories and appointing seed inspectors and seed analysts.



The Annual Budget Process – Some Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Union Budget?

The Union Budget is an “annual financial statement” or an estimate of receipts and expenditure of the Government of India. It gives the actual expenditure for the preceding financial year (April 1 to March 31), the revised estimates for the current financial year and the budget estimates for the next financial year.

Who prepares the Union Budget? When and how is it presented in Parliament?
The overall responsibility of preparing the budget rests with the Finance Ministry. The division takes cognizance of the availability of funds as well as the proposals from the numerous departments and ministries. It also consults the Comptroller and Auditor-General. The budget, however, needs the final approval of the Prime Minister before it can be presented in Lok Sabha. The President decides on which day the budget is to be presented. By convention, it is presented on the last day of February.

The Budget is presented in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Finance. The speech announcing the General Budget is divided into two parts:

Part A: deals with a survey of the economy and outlining policy initiatives; and
Part B: contains taxation proposals for the ensuing financial year.

Following the budget presentation, the annual financial statement relating to the Government of India (duly authenticated by the Finance Minister) is laid on the table. Also, the Finance Bill is introduced at this time.

What is the process by which the Budget is approved in the Parliament?
The procedure for approving the Budget in the Parliament involves many steps:

(a) Presentation of the Budget: The Finance Minister introduces the Budget in Lok Sabha, in February, with a speech giving an overview of the budget. At the conclusion of the Finance Minister's speech in Lok Sabha, the Budget documents are tabled in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

(b) Discussion on the Budget: The Parliament allots some time for discussion after the presentation. The Budget is discussed in two stages – the “General Discussion” followed by a detailed “discussion and voting on the demands for grants”. Besides, there are other opportunities for further discussions on financial proposals during consideration and passing of Appropriation Bill and Finance Bill. The Rajya Sabha is restricted to discussing the budget in general terms.

(c) Voting on Demands: At the end of the prescribed period of debate, the Speaker stops all discussions and puts all outstanding demands for grants to vote. This process is known as “Guillotine”. Voting on demands is the exclusive privilege of the Lok Sabha. Demands for grants are subjected to Cut Motions by the members of the Lok Sabha.

(d) Appropriation Bill: The Bill is introduced after all demands for grants are passed by the Lok Sabha. The Bill paves the way for the enactment of the Appropriation Act and is certified as a Money Bill. It allows the government to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India.

(e) Finance Bill: This Bill includes all taxation proposals including any amendments and paves the way for enacting the Finance Act.

What are Demands for Grants with regard to the Budget?
Demands for Grants are requests made by the government to the Lok Sabha for the authority to spend the amount asked for each year. Thus, they are related to the expenditure part of the Budget. The demands have to be made in the form of motions. Members may disapprove a policy pursued by the Ministry or suggest measures for economy in the administration or focus attention of the Ministry to specific local grievances. Members can do so by moving subsidiary motions, called Cut Motions.

What are the various types of Cut Motions?
The motion to reduce the amounts demanded as grants is known as a Cut Motion. There are three types of Cut Motions:

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1Transgenic seeds refer to genetically engineered seeds whose DNA has been modified by integrating part of the DNA sequence from another organism. This results in the organism displaying new characteristics. For example, the FlavrSavr tomato developed by Calgene Inc. in 1992 contained a gene that interfered with the production of an enzyme which softens the cell walls of a ripening fruit. This resulted in the tomato resisting rotting, without change in taste or vitamin, proteins and minerals. See http://www.geo-pie.cornell.edu/crops/tomato.html for a history of genetically engineered tomatoes.



2Benefit sharing means that if a farmer’s variety of seed has been used in breeding a new variety, farmers are entitled to share in the profits through a benefit sharing mechanism.

3Genetic use restriction technology (GURT) involves programming specific genes in the organism to restrict certain traits, which would be expressed in the absence of such programming. Terminator technology is a special case of GURT which leads to the seed (or offspring) being unable to reproduce. Another type of GURT triggers genetic enhancement only if the crop is treated with a specific chemical.

1Notes

. Estimated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Seeds Division (see http://agricoop.nic.in/RabiCampaing05_06/RabiCamp05_06/JS(Seed).ppt#1).

2. See Devinder Sharma, “India’s New Seed Bill”, Seedling, July 2005, available at http://grain.org/seedling/?id=338 for a critique of the Bill, and a discussion on why the exemption given to farmers is unlikely to be effective.

3. A cotton farmer from Andhra Pradesh, T. Ramanaiah, filed a case against Monsanto in 2003. (see Greenpeace Manual for Legal Protection to Farmers available at www.grain.org/h/how_to_sue.pdf).

4. Frontline (2003, Vol 20, Issue 11) reports that a seed company agreed to pay only for the failure to germinate and absence of the genetic purity promised to farmers, and not for loss in yields. See http://www.flonnet.com/fl2011/stories/20030606005912300.htm

5. Dr Suman Sahai, “The Controversial New Seed Bill”, Gene Campaign, March 15, 2005 (see http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Pressrelease/THE%20CONTROVERSIAL%20NEW%20SEED%20BILL.pdf).


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