Plug the gaps

Govt must address the glaring deficiencies of the Seed Bill

The draft Seed Bill, 2019, released by the agriculture ministry for public comments, has not gone down well with the farmers or the seed industry, though it is broadly aimed at protecting the interests of both. One of the major sore points in the mooted law that would replace the outworn Seed Act, 1966, is the absence of an in-built mechanism for grievance redressal. In case of any failure or underperformance of the seeds, the affected farmers would have to seek compensation under the Consumer (Protection) Act, 1986. Not only farmers, the industry is also uneasy with this arrangement as