Centre to amend and reform Plant Variety Act: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said the Plant Variety and Farmers’ Rights Protection Authority Act will be amended, incorporating suggestions from various stakeholders. Recently, a group of scientists had written to Mr. Chouhan demanding the government’s intervention to protect India’s sovereign rights over its vast genetic wealth, and the fundamental rights of its farmers at the upcoming 11th Session of the Governing Body (GB-11) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in Lima, Peru.

Presenting the ‘Plant Genome Saviour’ awards to various farmers here on Wednesday, Mr. Chouhan said the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) had “remarkable achievements” in the last 21 years since its foundation. Indian agricultural practices are among the oldest in the world, forming the very foundation of the nation’s civilisation, he said. “Many indigenous crop varieties are vital for nutrition and ecological balance,” the Minister said, and added that several traditional varieties were on the verge of extinction. It was through the dedication of farmers that these seeds have been preserved, he said.

The Minister said the Centre is providing financial incentives of up to ₹15 lakh to promote the conservation of seed varieties. “Seed is the biggest capital of a farmer. It is our fundamental right. While promoting new and high-yielding varieties is essential, preserving traditional seeds is equally important. There must be a balance between the two,” he said, adding that there is a need for reforms, and new suggestions received from various stakeholders would be considered and incorporated into future amendments of the PPV&FRA Act, wherever necessary.

“Even today, many farmers are unaware of the Act’s benefits. There are procedural complexities in registration that must be simplified. We also need to enhance transparency and ensure that the real benefits reach the grassroots,” he said. “The farmers who conserve our seeds and biodiversity are the true custodians of our agricultural heritage. They must be recognised, empowered, and supported,” Mr. Chouhan said.

Scientists concerned

Recently, a group of scientists had written to Mr. Chouhan that India should safeguard its interest at the meeting of the ITPGRFA in Peru. The scientists had earlier met Sunil Archak, the Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group, regarding the proposed amendments to the ITPGRFA.

“The current proposals to enhance the Multilateral System (MLS) are fundamentally unjust and threaten India’s sovereign rights over its genetic wealth and the rights of our farmers, who are the custodians of our genetic resources,” the scientists said in the letter to Mr. Chouhan. “The most dangerous proposal is to expand the current list of 64 crops agreed under Annex 1 of the Multilateral System (MLS), to include ‘all other plant genetic resources for food and agriculture’. This move would effectively open up a substantial part, if not all of India’s national seed collections to global access,” the scientists said in the letter.