Farmers Protest Seed Bill 2025, Warning of Centralisation and Corporate Monopoly

Seed Bill on the protest charter

Withdrawal of the proposed Seeds Bill, 2025 features prominently in the demands raised at the Chandigarh-Mohali border protest that began on September 1, 2026. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has argued that the legislation would weaken states' rights over seed research, development and related activities while increasing centralisation in the seed sector.

Farmer leaders contend that the bill would enable domestic and foreign corporate companies to establish a monopoly in seed supply, undermining farmers' access to affordable, locally adapted seed varieties. The SKM had raised similar objections when the draft was circulated for public feedback in late 2025.

Central accreditation and state authority

Critics of the draft legislation have focused on provisions such as a proposed Central Accreditation System, which would allow multinational seed companies accredited by the central government to operate across states with reduced state-level checks. Farmer advocacy groups have argued that such provisions reflect industry lobbying rather than farmer interests.

The draft proposes a 27-member Central Seed Committee and 15-member State Seed Committees, restructuring the institutional architecture established under the Seeds Act, 1966. Opponents say the shift concentrates decision-making at the Union level even though state governments bear the political and financial consequences when seed-related crises erupt.

Registration, penalties and import rules

The SKM has alleged that under the proposed bill, no seed or sapling could be sold without registration, with long imprisonment and heavy fines for unregistered sales. The unions argue that the legislation does not adequately address farmers' needs for affordable seeds with assured yields available on time.

Critics have also raised concerns about provisions exempting imported seeds from quality testing in India and accepting self-certification from foreign suppliers. The government has said the bill aims to regulate seed quality, curb spurious sales and protect farmers, but unions remain unconvinced that the balance favours producers over corporations.

Part of a wider legislative protest

The Seed Bill is one of several legislative targets in the current agitation, alongside the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2025 and the Dam Safety Act. The SKM has framed these as interconnected measures that together shift control over agricultural inputs, energy and water infrastructure away from states and farmers.

The bill had been expected to be introduced in Parliament's budget session in 2026 but had not been enacted as of September. Farmer unions have said they will escalate protests if the government proceeds with enactment, linking the Seed Bill opposition to their broader demand for a legal MSP guarantee and protection from trade agreements.