Need to regulate paddy hybrid seeds sounded
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 04 2025: Concerns have been raised about the Government's oversight of hybrid paddy seeds, with some traders appearing to use the seeds without regulation.

Over the past few years, Manipur's farming sector has seen a shift towards hybrid paddy seeds sourced from other States, often without assessing their suitability to local soil conditions, despite the availability of researched and improved paddy varieties developed by different institutions based in Manipur.

Questions have also been raised about who regulates these hybrid seeds brought by traders from other States.

Even as regulations mandate monitoring of crop seeds and livestock entering the State at quarantine units to ensure they are disease-free and suitable for local conditions, the hybrid paddy seeds seem to be bypassing such scrutiny at the Agriculture Department's plant quarantine unit.

Moreover, the Government also appears to be turning a blind eye to traders who sell hybrid paddy seeds by prioritizing profit over farmers' interests.

Despite requiring approval from the State's licensing authority, hybrid paddy seeds brought from other States are widely available in the local market without proper regulation.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, a retired Agriculture Department official, on the condition of anonymity, said that the department should test hybrid seeds for soil suitability before planting them in Manipur, but such practices seem to be nonexistent in the State.

Saying that there is a trend of some dealers selling hybrid paddy seeds as per their wishes, he added that the Government should check such practices.

There is no rule prohibiting the planting of hybrid seeds in Manipur but farmers need to be well informed about the pros and cons, he said, adding that hybrid paddy seeds require more fertilizers, and repeated planting can harm soil health, ultimately leading to financial losses for farmers in the long run.

He also stated that hybrid paddy seeds won't yield as much in the second plantation as they did in the first unless more fertilizers are used.

Unchecked import of paddy seeds from other States could be a contributing factor to the emergence of new crop diseases in Manipur over the past few years, he said.

Cautioning that relying heavily on paddy seeds brought from other States might result in the loss of indigenous, high-yielding varieties developed by institutions based in Manipur, he added that the Government must strictly monitor import of crop seeds to the State.

Potsangbam Devkanta, a progressive farmer and a recipient of a National Award given by Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority, said that preserving Manipur's indigenous paddy crops is crucial, as many high-yielding and hybrid seeds are developed from these native crops.

While hybrid seeds can be planted without issues if properly monitored and examined, he cautioned that introducing new crop varieties to the State without assessing their suitability could lead to significant long-term problems for the State.

Warning that unchecked introduction of crop varieties could lead to the emergence of new crop diseases in the State, he appealed to the Agriculture Department to regulate sale of hybrid paddy seeds in the State.

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