Hybrid seeds have gained increasing popularity among farmers in India over the decades. These varieties offer the advantage of quicker readiness for harvest compared to traditional varieties, which are manually selected by farmers from the field for future use, a practice that can be passed down for generations.
Additionally, hybrid seeds outperform open-pollinated variety (OPV) seeds, which are primarily developed by agricultural universities and have a usable lifespan of five to seven years.
Increasing Influence Of Private Companies In the Indian Seed Market
- Hybrid seeds allow for quicker crop harvests, offering farmers an opportunity to grow short-duration crops such as potatoes between primary crop cycles.
- The participation of private companies in India’s seed market has been increasing. This is highlighted in the 25th report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, presented in the Lok Sabha in 2021.
- In India, hybrid seeds are primarily developed and marketed by national and international private sector companies.
- The private sector’s share in India’s seed market has risen from 57.3% in 2017-18 to 64.5% in 2020-21.
- According to a 2019 report from the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture, India’s seed market value was $4.1 billion in 2018. This market had a growth rate of 15.7% from 2011-18.
- The seed market is projected to grow at a rate of 13.6% from 2019-24, reaching a value of $9.1 billion by 2024.
- Wheat and paddy constitute approximately 85% of this seed market.
- Hybrid seeds are only available for paddy among the two crops in India. These seeds currently occupy around 6% of the country’s 44 million hectares of rice land.
- Despite appearing as a small share, the distribution of these hybrid seeds is expanding and has the potential for rapid spread, as seen with hybrid maize varieties.
Implications Of Hybrid Seed Varieties
- Hybrid crops made their debut during India’s Green Revolution in the 1960s, with the government’s aim to enhance agricultural productivity.
- The National Seed Corporation was established to create, store, and distribute high-yield seeds.
- Until the 1980s, the public sector controlled the seed market and supplied Open-Pollinated Variety (OPV) seeds to farmers.
- By the end of the 1980s, the government permitted private companies to develop and distribute hybrid varieties.
- This shift towards hybrid crops threatens India’s crop diversity as they have replaced traditional varieties, better suited to local climates.
- Hybrid seeds are typically more sensitive to weather conditions than traditional or OPV seeds. For example, hybrid paddy varieties need rain within 15-20 days of planting.
- Crop failures among hybrid varieties, such as maize, are becoming more prevalent.
- Hybrid seed companies often raise prices when demand increases.
- The state of Haryana now grows substantial amounts of hybrid bajra (pearl millet). This hybrid was introduced approximately ten years ago at an affordable price. However, as traditional bajra seeds have dwindled, the price of hybrid seeds has increased to Rs 650 per kg.
- Mustard seeds are no exception, with current prices reaching around Rs 1,000 per kg, compared to the more affordable Rs 80 per kg for the traditional variety.
- Farmers frequently express that they are compelled to purchase hybrid varieties.
- To promote the adoption of hybrid varieties, multinational firms incentivize private shops with higher commissions, encouraging farmers to purchase hybrid seeds.
Decline Of Crop Diversity
- Hybrid seeds can harm crop diversity over time.
- The introduction of company seeds and genetically uniform modern varieties has led to the process of genetic erosion, resulting in the replacement of local varieties with high-yielding and hybrid ones.
- The emphasis shifted from cultivating a wide range of local crop species to prioritising profit. As a result, the rich genetic diversity of crops was replaced by a limited selection, narrowing the genetic range available.
- Traditional varieties, which were adapted to their local climates, have also seen a decline.
- The cultivation of indigenous crop varieties, renowned for their ability to withstand challenging conditions, has significantly declined.
- As a result, numerous paddy varieties, along with hundreds of pulses, millets, and other coarse cereals, have vanished from existence.
Note: This Editorial analysis is based on the article titled “Hybrid seeds are becoming increasingly popular in India. But that is not good news; here is why “ Published on the Down To Earth.