Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. File. | Photo credit: C. Venkatachalapathy
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Plant Variety Protection Authority and Farmers’ Rights Act would be amended, incorporating suggestions from various stakeholders. Recently, a group of scientists wrote to Mr. Chouhan demanding government intervention to protect India’s sovereign rights to its vast genetic wealth and the fundamental rights of its farmers at the upcoming 11th Governing Body (GB-11) session of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in Lima, Peru.
Presenting the ‘Plant Genome Savior’ awards here on Wednesday, Mr Chouhan said the Plant Variety Protection and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) had achieved “remarkable achievements” in the last 21 years since its inception. India’s agricultural practices are among the oldest in the world and form the very basis of the nation’s civilization, he said. “Many indigenous crop varieties are vital for nutrition and ecological balance,” the minister said, adding that several traditional varieties were on the verge of extinction. Thanks to the dedication of the farmers, these seeds have been preserved, he said.
The Minister said that the Center is providing financial incentives up to ₹15,000 to promote conservation of seed varieties. “Seed is the biggest capital of a farmer. It is our fundamental right. While promotion of new and high-yielding varieties is essential, conservation of traditional seeds is equally important. There must be a balance between the two,” he said, adding that reforms need to be made and new suggestions from various stakeholders will be considered and incorporated in future amendments to the PPV&FRA Act whenever necessary.
“Even today, many farmers are not aware of the benefits of the law. There are procedural complexities in registration that need to be simplified. We also need to increase transparency and ensure that the real benefits reach the people,” he said. “Farmers who protect our seeds and biodiversity are the true custodians of our agricultural heritage. They must be recognized, empowered and supported,” Mr Chouhan said.
Participating scientists
Recently, a group of scientists wrote to Mr. Chouhan that India should protect its interest at the ITPGRFA meeting in Peru. The scientists had previously met with Sunil Archak, Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Open Working Group, regarding the proposed changes to the ITPGRFA.
“Current proposals to strengthen the Multilateral System (MLS) are fundamentally unfair and threaten India’s sovereign rights to its genetic wealth and the rights of our farmers who are stewards of our genetic resources,” the scientists said in a 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 a substantial part, if not all of India’s national seed collections, to global access,” the researchers said in the letter.
Published – 12 Nov 2025 23:15 IST
