Centre notifies new seed varieties, HP farmers seek better access to certified seeds
Centre notifies new seed varieties, HP farmers seek better access to certified seeds
Shimla, July 20,
Union Government has notified 22 new seed varieties for sale and quality control under the Seeds Act, 1966. While the move is aimed at improving the availability of quality planting material, farmers in Himachal Pradesh continue to face a shortage of certified seeds, particularly for off-season vegetables and fruit crops.
According to the Gazette Notification issued on July 8, 2026, Himachal Pradesh has been included for the sale of only two notified varieties—Potato Kufri Abhedya (SM/11-120) and the hybrid Chilli Nutan (VNR 1281356).
In contrast, several other states have been covered for a wider range of crops. Gujarat has been notified for onion, coriander, sapota, mango and bael varieties. Maharashtra has received notified varieties of onion, colocasia and cashew, Kerala for ginger and coconut, Haryana for two ashwagandha varieties, Rajasthan for coriander and fenugreek, while Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry have been included for a hybrid sponge gourd variety.
Himachal Pradesh is one of India’s leading producers of off-season vegetables and temperate fruits such as apple, pear, peach and plum. The state also has two major agricultural institutions—Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni and Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya at Palampur—which play an important role in agricultural research and development.
Despite this strong research base, farmers often complain about the non-availability of certified seeds at the beginning of the sowing season. Many growers are forced to depend on uncertified seeds or purchase expensive planting material from private sources, affecting both production and farm income.
Agriculture experts believe that along with notifying new varieties, greater attention should be given to strengthening seed production, certification and distribution. They also point out that sustained investment in agricultural research and development is essential to develop improved crop varieties and ensure that quality seeds reach farmers on time.
Farmers’ organisations in Himachal Pradesh have urged the Centre and the state government to ensure an adequate supply of certified seeds suited to hill agriculture.
They say that timely availability of quality seeds is essential for sustaining the state’s leadership in off-season vegetable and temperate fruit production and for improving farm productivity.
Story would be updated with new version from farmers organisation in the state seeking fare deal in the seed policy like Tomato and Potato.
State farmers currently facing maize borera , Alternaria and Leaf blotch diseases in Apple and others crops. Farmers suffered lot owing to none availability of Fertilizer due to Strait of Hormouz blockade. Increasing prices of Petrol and diesel also increased input cost on the crops.
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