The Indian government has formed a special committee to examine Punjab's urgent request for denotifying hybrid paddy seeds for farmers. According to reports from The Hindu BusinessLine, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has assured Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that a special committee will be constituted to examine the State government's demand to denotify hybrid paddy seeds in the state. The committee's formation represents a significant development as it addresses Punjab's immediate concerns about hybrid paddy varieties that allegedly yield lower recovery than the 67 per cent rice out-turn millers are required to supply to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) after processing procured paddy.
Punjab recently wrote to the Centre seeking denotification of all non-basmati hybrid paddy varieties, so it could curb their sale under an existing State law. As reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, Punjab's key concern is that some hybrid rice varieties allegedly yield lower recovery than the 67 per cent rice out-turn millers are required to supply to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) after processing procured paddy. The state government has been seeking immediate action to ensure smooth procurement and lifting operations during the forthcoming kharif season, with the denotification being crucial for farmers to avoid planting these varieties in the ensuing season.
The Centre is cautiously moving on the issue as seed companies could challenge any move lacking valid legal grounds, sources told The Hindu BusinessLine. According to the report, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is believed to have examined the demand and found that 23 hybrid rice varieties released since 2015 conform to minimum milling standards. In August 2025, the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the State government's ban on hybrid paddy seeds imposed in April last year, though it allowed restrictions on the sale of non-notified varieties. Since the varieties were notified by the Centre, their sale could be restricted only after denotification.
During the May 13 meeting, Mann also sought uninterrupted fertiliser supply and Punjab's representation in the Central Seed Committee as well as wheat seed subsidy allocation for 2026-27. As reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, groundwater conservation and crop diversification were among many other issues that both leaders discussed. Chouhan assured that the Central Government would extend full support to the state in all agriculture-related missions, with the Centre providing every possible assistance to Punjab in all initiatives related to agriculture and water conservation.
