The National Seed Association of India (NSAI), which represents top seed companies in the country, on Wednesday suggested some changes in the proposed Seed Bill 2019, including a more scientific definition of transgenic variety, enhanced farmer rights on seeds and enlisting the services of private firms for evaluating new varieties before seed registration.
In letters written to Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Director General (ICAR) Trilochan Mahapatra and others, NSAI said there is a serious lacuna in the definition of transgenic variety, which was not clear and also unscientific. This needs to be corrected, the organisation said in a statement. "This is a very critical bill, which affects all Indians. No decision should be made in haste, and hence we have sent additional comments for the government,” NSAI president Prabhakar Rao said.
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