Tummala directs officials to fast-track seed law

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has directed the officials to fast-track the enactment of a comprehensive seed law aimed at protecting farmers and ensuring quality seed supply, making it clear that the State will not allow further delay. Tummala held a review meeting with senior Agriculture department officials at the Secretariat on the proposed Seed Act - 2025, covering seed production, quality control, sales, pricing, regulation and protection of seed-producing farmers.

The Minister said the State had already constituted a Seed Bill draft committee, which consulted farmers, seed companies, organisers, dealers, distributors and officials before preparing recommendations. Telangana subsequently submitted its views, objections and suggestions on the Centre’s draft Seed Act-2025, but several months had passed without significant progress.

The Minister called for stringent action against the sale of fake, inferior and unauthorised seeds, along with seed traceability linked to crop booking, mandal-level seed banks and community seed banks, and conservation of traditional and indigenous varieties. He directed the officials to establish a statutory grievance redresal and compensation mechanism to ensure speedy relief to farmers who suffer crop losses because of defective seeds.