Government statements issued in September and May gave no date for completing India's proposed seed-law rewrite or starting a separate fertilizer trial exemption, reforms that could affect how farm inputs reach the market.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare said May 18, 2026, that the two-tier approval mechanism for new fertilizer registrations had been removed, leaving approval with the Central Fertilizer Committee. The ministry said 19 applicants and manufacturers had benefited from the change.
That announcement also described a possible exemption from mandatory field trials for inorganic fertilizers meeting established quality and safety standards under the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985. The ministry said the idea had preliminary backing, but additional consultations and a review were needed before implementation. The May release gave no implementation date.
The Economic Times reported Nov. 3 that NITI Aayog officials had recently met seed-industry representatives and that fertilizer companies had earlier been asked for policy suggestions. It cited an unnamed senior seed-industry representative who said state testing practices differ and can delay new products, limiting farmers’ access to new technologies. The government has separately acknowledged differences among states in seed procedures.
The Draft Seeds Bill, 2025, is intended to replace the Seeds Act, 1966, and the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983. In a Sept. 10, 2026, release, the government said around 20 farmer organizations had submitted views and that consultations in November and December 2025 had generated about 18,000 suggestions from farmers and their organizations. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said “no deadline has been fixed” for finalizing the law.
The proposed bill would require market-bound seeds and planting material to be registered and introduce QR-code traceability. The government says farmers would retain the ability to use, exchange and sell traditional and farmers’ varieties. The government also says current law does not cover about 70% of seeds.
