Will act against sale of substandard seeds, pesticides, says Agriculture Minister

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, flanked by ICAR Director-General M.L. Jat (left) and Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, at  a press conference on the PUSA campus in New Delhi on June 18, 2025. | Photo Credit: ANI

Promising action against the sale of substandard seeds and pesticides, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) said the Centre is planning to amend the Seeds Act and the Pesticides Act to make them “more farmer-friendly”.

He was briefing reporters after the conclusion of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, the campaign where scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) interacted with farmers. During the interactions, farmers had highlighted their two pressing concerns – substandard seeds and pesticides, Mr. Chouhan said.

The Agriculture Ministry will take strong measures to strengthen the Seed Act and ensure “stringent quality-control mechanisms, so that only certified, high-quality inputs reach farmers”, he said.

Minister to meet farmers

Noting that the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan was a success, Mr. Chouhan said the Centre will initiate several policy changes to meet the demands raised by farmers during these interactions.

Mr. Chouhan said the campaign will continue and the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) will be made the nodal agency in every district for future interactions of scientists with farmers. “KVK scientists will visit farms and interact with farmers three days a week,” the Minister said, adding that he himself will visit farms and interact with farmers two days a week.

“Each State will have a nodal officer from the ICAR who will coordinate with a scientific approach,” he said. Though agriculture is a State subject, on this issue of bringing a technological innovative approach in the fields, the States and the Centre will function as one team, he said.

The Minister said teams of 2,170 scientists had directly interacted with over 1.34 crore farmers in more than 1.42 lakh villages. He said the attempt was to bridge the gap in knowledge, research, and capabilities.

On amending the Seeds Act and Pesticides Act, Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said steps will be taken so that the Seeds Bill gets passed in the winter session of Parliament.

The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan was aimed to bridge the gap between research labs and agricultural fields. “We have seen remarkable work happening, but challenges persist. Our focus must now be on increasing productivity, reducing input costs, and ensuring that agriculture becomes a profitable and sustainable livelihood for every farmer,” Mr. Chouhan said. Apart from Mr. Chouhan and Mr. Chaturvedi, ICAR Director General M.L. Jat also attended the press conference.

Published - June 18, 2025 10:51 pm IST