Make changes in Seed Bill, urge farmers

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New Delhi, Dec 3: Farmers have urged the government to follow the Parliamentary panel’s suggestions and effect necessary changes in the Seeds Bill, 2004 for ensuring farmer rights.

The government tabled the controversial Seeds Bill in the Rajya Sabha in December 2004, later it was referred to the parliamentary standing committee on agriculture for review. The standing panel took about two years to review the Bill and recently submitted its report.

Krishan Bir Chaudhary, head of the India’s largest farmers’ organisation—Bharat Krishak Samaj—who deposed before the House panel is, however, apprehensive. He feels the government may bypass the panel’s recommendations due to pressure from the industry. “It would be regrettable if the government ignores relevant suggestions made by the peoples’ representatives and opts to favour the seed industry. If the government does so then we will launch a nationwide agitation to restore our rights,” he said.

The House panel headed by Ram Gopal Yadav strongly recommended that the farmer’s right to exchange unbranded seeds among themselves be acknowledged. It said, “the Plant Varieties Protection & Farmers’ Rights (PVP&FR) Act 2001 should be made fully operative first,” before implementing the proposed Bill. The new law should not undermine the provisions of PVP&FR Act.

In this context, Chaudhary said: “On behalf of the farmers I raised the issue of deleting the latter portion of Clause 43 (1) of the Bill so as to exempt farmers from any norms for saving and exchanging unbranded seeds. The panel agreed to my suggestion that the latter portion of the clause is restrictive and should be deleted.”

He further said the PVP&FR Act should be implemented immediately and added, “In my personal view farmers should have the right to save and exchange whatever seeds they cultivate.” Among others who deposed before the House panel were Vandana Shiva of Navdanya, Suman Sahai of Gene Campaign, S Ramachandran Pillai and K Varadharajan of CPI(M)’ farmer’s wing, Kolli Nageswara Rao and Chittar Singh of CPI’s farmers’ wing, Manavendra Kachole, Nikhade and Govind Joshi of the Pune-based Shetkari Sangatana and representatives of the seed industry.

Chaudhary said the House panel also said the Bill should address the issue of promoting sale of newly developed seeds, and at the same time, ensure that farmers’ interests and sustainability of agriculture are not jeopardised. The law should strengthen the integrated growth of farmers and seed systems so that every farmer has access to quality planting materials at reasonable prices.