Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has assured the 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. However, there no commitment was made when a decision could be taken as Punjab wants the denotification immediately so that farmers do not plant those varieties in ensuing kharif season, sources said.

businesslinereported May 8 about the demand of the State government and the Centre’s reluctance to accept it as scientifically the allegation of lower head rice recovery due to higher percentage of grain breakage during milling and conversion ratio from paddy to rice could not be substantiated.

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. 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.

ICAR findings

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. Sources said that since the varieties were notified by the Centre, their sale could be restricted only after denotification.

But the Centre is cautiously moving on the issue as seed companies could challenge any move lacking valid legal grounds, sources said. 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.

On May 13, Mann met Chouhan and sought his intervention for the de-notification to ensure smooth procurement and lifting operations in Punjab during the forthcoming kharif season.

Other issues

He also sought uninterrupted fertiliser supply and Punjab’s representation in the Central Seed Committee as well as wheat seed subsidy allocation for 2026-27. Groundwater conservation and crop diversification were among many other issues that both the leaders discussed an official statement said.

Chouhan assured that the Central Government would extend full support to the state in all agriculture-related missions, the agriculture ministry said. He also said that the Centre would provide every possible assistance to Punjab in all initiatives related to agriculture and water conservation, and benefits of the cotton, pulses, oilseed and horticulture missions would be utilised to strengthen the State’s agriculture sector.

Published on May 14, 2026