The government is aiming to bring in private seed companies under the seed authentication, traceability and holistic inventory (SATHI) portal, for ensuring traceability of the entire seed production and distribution system.
Closing the Private Sector Gap
Sources said currently only public sector seed corporations in the state and centre are on the SATHI portal for foundation and certified seeds while the private seed companies which majorly sell seed under ‘truthfully labeled’ category do not have any traceability system.
“We are working on on-boarding the private sector seed companies on the portal so that farmers who buy these seeds can trace through scanning of QR code on the packet about where their foundation and certified seeds came so that he is assured of quality seed supplies,” an official told FE.
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Currently 26 states are on the SATHI portal, as part of the digitisation process of the seed value chain.
In addition, seed distribution and seed sales through the agriculture ministry’s portal is currently in operations in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan.
The chain starts from the breeder to the foundation and from the foundation to certified seeds through the state seed certification agencies. However currently foundation and certified seedproduction is being tracked through the portal.
According to estimates, the private sector has around 70% share in seed supplies while the industryis valued at $ 3.82 billion.
The portal aims to eventually vertically integrate seed chain – research organisations, certification, licensing, catalogue, dealers to farmer sales, registration of farmers – under a single platform.
Legislative Overhaul
To ensure quality and traceability while curbing spurious sales, the government is preparing to introduce the Seed Bill in parliament in the forthcoming budget session.
Under the existing provisions, certification of seeds is not mandatory while private players are currently selling seed as ‘truthfully labeled’. This type of seed does not come under the purview of the department of seed certification.
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The proposed legislation has provisions for compulsory registration of all varieties sold in the market, registration of seed producer, seed processing unit and dealer, registration of plant nurseries, regulation of seed sale prices under emergent situations, compulsory labelling of performance of seeds, mandatory on boarding on SATHI portal etc.
This would ensure the quality of seeds supplies following nationally determined standards supplied to the farmer
The agriculture ministry is currently examining over 9,500 inputs received for the draft seed bill. The proposed legislation will replace decades old Seed Act, 1966 and the Seed (control) order, 1983. Earlier several attempts have been made to introduce changes in the existing provision of legislation. |
