Jaipur: Kisan Mahapanchayat national president Rampal Jat, in a memorandum on behalf of the farmers’ body Thursday, suggested stringent provisions, including life imprisonment and even death penalty, adequate compensation to farmers and placing the burden of proving innocence on accused seed companies, in the proposed Seed Bill 2025. In a letter to Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jat also sought greater representation of farmers in central and state seed committees and a year-round system for investigating complaints against fake and infertile seeds. The suggestions were made at a meeting on the proposed seed legislation at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, chaired by Chouhan, where farmer representatives from several states participated.Jat flagged the sharp prices of seeds as an example of farmers’ exploitation, pointing out that mustard seed now costs around Rs 30,000 per quintal, while chilli seed is priced at about Rs 50,000 and bhindi and tinda seeds can cost up to Rs 90,000 per kg. He said the Bill’s preamble should explicitly recognise food security and farmers’ “seed sovereignty” and ensure access to authentic seeds at the right time and at affordable prices.Besides stringent punishment, the organisation sought removal of provisions for mitigation of offences and adequate compensation for farmers suffering losses due to fake or infertile seeds. It also proposed placing the burden of proving innocence on accused parties, defining fake and infertile seeds clearly and allowing authorities to take cognisance of complaints filed by any aggrieved person.Jat called for a year-round investigation mechanism for seed-related complaints and accountability of district magistrates for enforcement. He also sought incentives for farmers to produce seeds locally and said information on seed storage and availability should be displayed at gram panchayat and gram seva sahakari samiti levels.He also sought adequate representation of farmers in central and state seed committees and safeguards against the promotion of sterile and genetically modified seeds. Jat advocated taking seed-production technology to individual households to encourage farmers to produce their own seeds.Arguing that agriculture is a state subject, Jat said states should retain adequate powers over seed regulation to ensure decentralised monitoring and prevent the adverse consequences of excessive centralisation. Chouhan assured the representatives that farmers’ interests would be kept paramount while framing the legislation.
