Lok Sabha Question No. 2989 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: Supply of Spurious Seeds
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: OM PRAKASH YADAV, SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNPURIA, E. T. MOHAMMED BASHEER, DHARAMBIR BHALERAM, RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK, SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL, NANABHAU FALGUNRAO PATOLE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2989

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  15 TH  MARCH, 2016

## SUPPLY OF SPURIOUS SEEDS

2989.  SHRI OM PRAKASH YADAV:

SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNAPURIA:

SHRI E.T. MOHAMMED BASHEER:

SHRI DHARAMBIR:

SHRI RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK:

SHRI SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL:

SHRI NANA PATOLE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE   ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè

be pleased to state:

(a) whether  the  Government  has  received  several  complaints  from  various  States including  Maharashtra  relating  to  supply  of  fake/substandard  quality  seeds  to  the farmers which resulted in reduction of more than 50 percent in germination capacity;

(b) if so, the details thereof and its likely impact on the agricultural production along with the details of decline in annual agricultural production during the last three years;

(c) the details of the action taken by the Government in this regard;

(d) whether the Government is considering to make strict law/legislation relating to germination of seeds; and

(e) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to provide quality seeds to the farmers?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ Àã·¾ã ½ãâ¨ããè

(DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a) to (c): A few cases of supply of spurious seeds were reported by the States like Maharashtra, Rajasthan Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. However, there is no report regarding  the impact on agricultural production due to such sporadic cases. The overall agricultural  production  in  the  country  has  remained  robust  during the  last  three  years despite of adverse climatic conditions. Details of complaints of supply of spurious seeds received  from  the  State  Governments  for  the  last  three  years  and  action  taken  is  at Annexure-I.

(d) & (e): To further strengthen the seed quality regime, the Department  of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has introduced the Seeds Bill, 2004 in the Rajya Sabha  which will have provision for enhanced  penalty for sale of spurious/fake  seed,  compulsory  registration  of  seed  varieties,  seed  health  standards, labeling  of  expected  performance  of  seed  varieties,  regulation  of  seed  price  under emergent situations, compensation in case of failure of seeds etc.

Annexure-I

## Details of complaints of supply of spurious/sub-standard seed received from the State Governments for the last three years and action taken

| Sl. No.   | Name of State                  | Types of complaints                                                                                                                                    | Action Taken                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|-----------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2015-16   | 2015-16                        | 2015-16                                                                                                                                                | 2015-16                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| 1.        | Maharashtra                    | State Government has reported 69 complaints in cotton, 51 complaints in banana, 19 complaints in vegetable and other seeds and 1 complaint in soybean. | Action as per the law including launching police cases, filing court cases, stop sales, suspension and cancellation of licenses, issuance of stop sale order, seizure of stocks were taken. Further, strengthened enforcement wing with 1131 quality control Inspectors, Vigilance squads, Control rooms were formed at Divisional, Sub-Divisional, District and Panchayat Samiti level to monitor seeds law enforcement activities, samples are drawn at processing plant, godowns/store points to check the quality, mandatory submission of sale plan and detailed production plan by seed dealers to ensure the supply of quality seeds to the farmers. |
| 2014-15   | 2014-15                        | 2014-15                                                                                                                                                | 2014-15                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| 1.        | Rajasthan                      | Nil, but out of total 5091 samples drawn, about 6% were found to be sub-standard.                                                                      | Action as per the law including issue show cause notice, stopping of sale, seizure, suspension/cancellation of license, and filing court cases for prosecution were taken.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 2.        | Telangana                      | State Government has reported that during inspection and seed analysis, 103 seed samples were found sub- standard.                                     | 8350.3 qlts seed of Rs 441.59 lakh were seized and five cases were filed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 3.        | Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh | One case about sale of sub- standard seeds with the tag of Beej Pramanikaran Sanstha of Madhya Pradesh in Akola, Maharashtra.                          | Government of Madhya Pradesh had immediately suspended concerned officials and also suspended license of seed producing company involved in the matter.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| 2013-14   | 2013-14                        | 2013-14                                                                                                                                                | 2013-14                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| 1.        | Rajasthan                      | Nil, but out of total 4104 samples drawn, about 5% were found to be sub-standard.                                                                      | Action as per the law including issue show cause notice, stopping of sale, seizure, suspension/cancellation of license, and filing court cases for prosecution were taken.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 2.        | Telangana                      | State Government has reported that during inspection and seed analysis, 137 seed samples were found sub- standard.                                     | 4835 qlts seed of Rs 86.24 lakh were seized and nine cases were filed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |

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