The Hindu : New Delhi News : 'Seed Bill loaded in favour of industry'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 17, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

'Seed Bill loaded in favour of industry'

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, MARCH 16. Even as the private seed industry — with the blessings of the Ministry of Agriculture — yesterday sought subsidy at par with the public sector, a separate Stakeholders' Consultation representing farmers' organisations, academics, industry, research foundations and societal groups pointed out that the proposed Seed Bill was heavily loaded in favour of the industry.A separate seminar organised by several seed companies, including Pro Agro and Monsanto here today, recommended that "insurance should be a route to compensate farmers, not the industry." They also sought a scientific evaluation for the reasons for crop failure and establishment of the role of the seed industry. Significantly, the industry said that action should be taken against a specific lot and not against a product or the company and that the "stop sale" should be only for two to three days. The seed industry has an annual turnover of Rs. 4,000 crores with a growth rate of up to seven per cent.While the private seed industry sought encouragement from the Government to harmonise the "organised" and "unorganised" seed sector, the Stakeholders' Consultation, in which the National Farmers' Commission Chairman, M.S. Swaminathan, participated, said that the proposed Seed Bill should be harmonised with the Protection of Plant Variety and Farmers Rights Act (PPVFR) and the Biodiversity Act, 2002.

For streamlining laws

The Consultation sought Government assurance that "nothing in the Seed Bill shall dilute the rights and protections to farmers under the PPVFR." The Seed Industry wanted the existing laws to be streamlined and the regulatory processes for Genetically Modified (GM) crops be rationalised. It wants re-evaluation of the need for large-scale trials of GM crops.

The industry sought status of infrastructure and level-playing field.

While the industry demanded that the registration of companies be done centrally and not State-wise, the Consultation took exception to the "Imperial Provision" of Section 46 that states that the Central Government "may by notification, make rules to carry out the provision of this Act."

The industry sought scrapping of the MoU system, as in Andhra Pradesh, between the government, the industry and the scientist. It wants import of vegetable seeds under Open General Licence, which was stopped to prevent "import" of diseases and pests along with seeds.

On the other hand, the Consultation recommended that the registration of varieties under the Seed Bill required a sworn declaration of the parentage of the variety and provisions for benefit sharing in harmony with the PPVFR and the Biodiversity Act.

It demanded that the compensation for non-performance of seed supplied by agencies must be regulated through the National Plant Variety Authority, not the District Consumer Courts as in the present draft Bill.

It said that the provisional permission granted to transgenic varieties was dangerous and violated the principles of bio-safety and that it must be rescinded. When the declared source of registered material had been accessed illegally, registration should be cancelled and criminal and civil liability should be determined.

According to Suman Sahai of Gene Campaign, one of the principal recommendations was that a Joint Parliamentary Committee be appointed to look into the proposed Seed Bill.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section