Abstract
Agriculture plays a crucial role in the Indian economy. The majority of India’s population remains engaged in farming. For a long time after independence, the Indian economy was predominantly agricultural. The agricultural sector contributed more to India’s GDP than any other sector. Farming relies on quality seeds. However, accessing quality seeds is not always easy for Indian farmers. This issue is widespread across India, not confined to a specific region. Although the government is attempting to provide quality seeds, the presence of spurious seed sellers complicates this effort. The paper examines the issue of counterfeit seeds in India and analyses the reasons behind this problem. It also critically reviews various laws regulating seeds and discusses these reasons in detail. An effort has been made to find solutions to the issue and offer suggestions to address spurious seeds.
Keywords: Agriculture, economy, quality seeds, spurious.
Introduction
Agriculture is almost the backbone of the Indian Economy.Agriculture does not mean growing crops only. It includes several activities, such as horticulture, pisciculture, and floriculture. The agriculture sector also plays an important role in cross-border trade. Share of Gross Value Added (GVA) of agriculture and allied sectors in the total economy is 18.3% at current prices.[1]
The agriculture sector also supports the industrial sector by providing raw materials. It is also a major source of revenue for state governments through land revenue, irrigation taxes, etc. For better production quality, seeds are necessary. Unfortunately, Indian farmers are facing a serious problem: spurious seeds. Although a farmer uses fertiliser, seeds, and pesticides, he still cannot achieve proper crop production. There are various reasons behind it. The government has enacted various laws to address this problem, yet it persists.In this study, an effort has been made to identify the causes of spurious seeds and ways to address this problem.
Contribution of Agricultural Sector in GDP, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, availableat:https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx? PRID=1909213((last visited on May 21, 2024, 11:02 AM).