Seeds: Hybrids, Saving and Markets

How India's seed market works, why hybrid seeds must be bought each season, the role of public and private breeders, and the problem of fake seeds.

Seeds determine a crop’s potential yield.

Types of seeds

Farm-saved seeds: kept from the last harvest, common for wheat and rice.
Improved varieties: bred by public institutes like the ICAR and agricultural universities; can be saved and replanted.
Hybrids: crosses of two parent lines, giving higher yields, but seeds saved from hybrids don’t produce the same results, so farmers buy new seeds every season.

The seed industry

Public seed corporations and private companies.
Private firms dominate hybrids in crops like cotton, maize and vegetables.

Quality problems

Fake or substandard seeds cause crop failures.
The Seeds Act, 1966 regulates quality, but enforcement is weak; a new Seeds Bill has been proposed.

Seed replacement rate

The share of area sown with fresh certified seeds is called the seed replacement rate. Higher rates generally raise yields.

Farmers’ rights

The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 lets farmers save, use and sell seeds (though not branded), balancing breeders’ and farmers’ rights.

The fake seed

A farmer buys cheap cotton seeds from an unlicensed seller. The plants fail to produce well, and he loses his season's investment.

Thinking farmers can save hybrid seeds

Hybrid seeds must usually be bought fresh each season.

Key takeaways

Seeds can be farm-saved, improved varieties or hybrids.
Hybrids give higher yields but must be bought each season.
Fake seeds cause crop failures.
The 2001 Act protects farmers' rights to save seeds.