**Executive Summary**
This document is the response to Unstarred Question No. 1396 in Lok Sabha, regarding actions taken to address substandard seeds and pesticides. The response, dated 9th December, 2025, details regulatory steps, legal actions, and collaborative efforts with State Governments for upgrading testing laboratories. It mentions the draft Seeds Bill, 2025 and the SATHI portal.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Regulatory Measures:**
* Existing legal framework: The Seeds Act, 1966, and the Insecticide Act, 1968, and their respective rules are in place.
* Quality Control Inspectors: Appointed by State Governments/UTs to ensure seed and pesticide quality.
* Sample analysis: Inspectors are empowered to collect samples for laboratory testing.
* Enforcement: Actions taken against substandard samples include license cancellation, stock seizure, warnings, "Stop Sale" orders, and court cases.
* Advisories: Government issues advisories to States/UTs to increase vigilance.
* **Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI) Portal:**
* Launched to ensure complete seed chain traceability.
* Aims to provide effective monitoring and transparency.
* **Infrastructure and Capacity Building:**
* State Seed Certification Agencies (SSCAs): 25 are established for seed certification.
* Seed Testing Laboratories (STLs): 178 notified STLs are operational for seed testing.
* Pesticide Testing Laboratories: 70 State Pesticide Testing Laboratories (SPTLs) and 2 Regional Pesticide Testing Laboratories (RPTLs) are established.
* Financial Assistance: Government of India provides financial assistance to States/UTs for strengthening quality control arrangements, including setting up new labs and upgrading existing ones.
* National Trainings: Government of India also provides the financial assistance for conducting National trainings workshops and capacity-building programmes.
* Accreditation: Encourages States/UTs to obtain NABL and ISTA accreditation for testing laboratories.
* **Legal Action & Enforcement Statistics (Year 2024-25):**
* Seed Samples: 3,94,150 seed samples were drawn, with 16,146 found substandard. 9,598 'Stop Sale' Orders issued. 181 forfeiture cases. 1,968 cases were filed in court, 249 cases decided by the court, and 1,675 cases are sub-judice.
* Pesticide Samples: 85,718 pesticide samples were analyzed, with 2,362 found misbranded. 822 prosecution cases were filed, and 145 cases resulted in convictions.
* **Seeds Bill, 2025:**
* A draft Seeds Bill, 2025 has been placed for public consultation.
* Aims to bring a new Seeds Act to make provisions more robust and effective.
**Impact Analysis**
* **Farmers**
**Impact:** Affected by the availability of quality seeds and pesticides to prevent losses.
**Action Required:** To be aware of measures to prevent losses due to substandard seeds and pesticides.
* **State Governments/UTs**
**Impact:** Responsible for appointing Quality Control Inspectors and implementing the regulatory framework.
**Action Required:** Implement existing legal framework, step up vigil on manufacturers and dealers, encourage labs to obtain accreditation, and utilize financial assistance for laboratory upgrades and training programs.
* **Manufacturers and Retailers of Seeds and Pesticides**
**Impact:** Subject to regulatory oversight and potential legal action if found selling substandard products.
**Action Required:** Comply with quality standards and regulations; face potential consequences like license cancellation, stock seizure, and court cases for non-compliance.
* **Testing Laboratories**
**Impact:** Responsible for ensuring the quality of seeds and pesticides.
**Action Required:** Obtain NABL and ISTA accreditation for testing laboratories to improve the quality of testing.
Key Entities Referenced
Seeds Act, 1966: Primary legislation governing the quality and distribution of seeds.
Insecticide Act, 1968: Primary legislation governing the quality and distribution of insecticides.
Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI) portal: Portal for ensuring traceability and complete seed chain from Nucleus seeds to Certified Seeds for effective monitoring and transparency in whole seed production and distribution system.
Seeds Bill, 2025: Proposed legislation to replace the existing Seeds Act to make provisions more robust.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: The central government ministry responsible for policies related to agriculture, including seed and pesticide quality.
O.I.H.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1396
TO BE ANSWERED ON 9TH DECEMBER, 2025
SUBSTANDARD SEEDS AND PESTICIDES
1396. DR. MANNA LAL RAWAT:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) the details of regulatory steps being taken by the Government to prevent losses to
farmers due to substandard or inferior quality seeds and pesticides;
(b) the legal action taken so far against the manufacturing, marketing or sale of
substandard seeds or pesticides and whether any amendment or new policy is proposed
to make these regulations more robust and effective;
(c) whether the Government has launched any special programme in collaboration with
the State Governments for upgrading or expanding the laboratories for testing qualities of
seeds and pesticides; and
(d) if so, the latest data in this regard and details of steps taken on the said issue?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAM NATH THAKUR)
(a): In order to ensure availability of quality seeds and pesticides for preventing losses
to the farmers, the various provisions are available in the Seeds Act, 1966, the Seeds
Rules, 1968, the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, the Insecticide Act, 1968, and the
Insecticides Rules,1971 etc. The State Governments/UTs appoints the Quality Control
Inspectors for ensuring quality of seeds and pesticides in their states. These Inspectors are
empowered to draw the samples from manufacturers/retailers etc, send to laboratory for
testing quality. In case any sample of seeds and pesticides are found to be sub-standard,
actions are taken as per the relevant provisions of Acts and Rules with respect to seeds,
and pesticides (viz. cancelation of dealer license, seize the stock, issue of warning, issue
'Stop Sale' Order and file the case in the Court etc.).
Government of India also issue advisories to all the States/UTs, to ensure
implementation of existing legal framework strictly to step up the vigil on the manufacturer
premises and storage, sale point of dealers/retailers etc. to check the sale of spurious
seeds, and pesticides.
Government of India has launched Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic
Inventory (SATHI) portal for ensuring traceability and complete seed chain from Nucleus
seeds to Certified Seeds for effective monitoring and transparency in whole seed
production and distribution system.To strengthen the regulatory system a series of State Seed Certification Agencies
(SSCAs) and Seed Testing Laboratories (STLs) have been set up. There are 25 SSCAs
for certification of seeds and 178 notified STLs for testing of seeds at present working in
the country. Similarly, for testing of pesticides 70 State Pesticide Testing Laboratories
(SPTLs) and 2 Regional Pesticide Testing Laboratories (RPTLs) at Kanpur and Chandigarh
have been established in the country.
(b): During the year 2024-25 and current year total 3,94,150 seed samples drawn and
16,146 samples found sub-standard, 9,598 'Stop Sale' Order issued,181 cases of forfeiture,
1,968 cases filled in the Court, 249 cases decided by Court of Law and 1,675 no. of cases
sub-judice.
Similarly, a total 85,718 pesticides samples have been analysed and 2,362 samples
found misbranded. 822 prosecution cases were filed against firms involved in the
manufacture, sale, or illegal import of substandard or low-quality pesticides, and 145 cases
resulted in conviction by the Hon’ble Court during the year 2024-25.
A draft Seeds Bill, 2025 has been placed for public/stakeholders’ consultation for bringing
a new Seeds Act to make the provisions more robust and effective.
(c) & (d): The details of steps being taken by the Government of India and States/UTs.
for upgrading the quality testing laboratories are as under:
a) Government of India provides the financial assistance to the States/UTs. and
implementing agencies for Strengthening of Quality Control Arrangement viz. for
setting up of new testing laboratory, upgrading existing testing laboratory, Seed
Health laboratory, DNA Finger Printing laboratory etc. under the National Food
Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) and Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
etc.
b) Government of India also provides the financial assistance for conducting National
trainings /Workshops and capacity-building programmes for the various
stakeholders.
c) Encouraging the States/UTs. and implementing agencies etc. for obtaining National
Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation
of testing laboratories and also International Seed Testing Association (ISTA)
accreditation for STLs etc. to improve the quality of testing etc.
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