What India Seeds Act 1966 - DAC Seed Certification, Variety Registration, and Quality Control Framework requires
The Seeds Act 1966 (No. 54 of 1966) is India's primary legislation governing seed quality, variety testing, and the certification of seed for sale. The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare administers the Act through the Central Seed Committee (CSC) and State Seed Certification Agencies (SSCAs). The Seeds Act and Seeds Rules 1968 establish minimum germination, moisture, purity standards for notified seed varieties. Seed dealers must be licensed by state governments. The Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards, Notification, and Release of Varieties (CVRC) evaluates and notifies new crop varieties for release. Approximately 450 crop varieties have been notified under the Seeds Act. Breeder seed production, foundation seed, and certified seed form the seed multiplication chain. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act 2001 (PPV&FR Act) complements the Seeds Act by providing plant variety protection to breeders. Penalties for selling below-standard seeds include imprisonment up to 6 months and fines.
Pillar: Agriculture & Agritech · Authority: Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India · Version: 2.0 · Last updated:
Primary source: https://agricoop.nic.in/en/seeds-act
SHA-256 integrity: c41919307a5d01768f079aa6e3e71a92596307e555aa2483073d8de9b2acd344
Primary Citations — 7 traced to source
- Seeds Act 1966 (No. 54 of 1966, India) - variety notification (s.5), seed dealer licensing (s.8), Seed Inspector powers (s.9), penalties (s.19), Central Seed Committee composition
- Seeds Rules 1968 - certification classes and procedures (Rule 7), minimum seed standards (Second Schedule), State Seed Testing Laboratory requirements (Rule 9)
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