Paddy Virus Related to Weather Conditions; Seed Sellers Oppose Law

The outbreak of the Southern Rice Black-Streaked Dwarf Virus (SRBSDV), which causes severe dwarfing in paddy crops, appears to be closely linked to recurring climate patterns. A preliminary study conducted by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has found that the weather conditions in 2025—marked by similar rainfall, temperature, and daylight hours—mirror those of 2022, when the last major virus flare-up occurred. Surveys conducted by PAU across 20 districts in July and August confirmed the presence of SRBSDV in sub-mountainous areas, including Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Patiala. Crops transplanted before 20 Jun 20 were more vulnerable, while those transplanted afterwards largely escaped infection. Meanwhile, the Panjab government recently gave nod to a Bill that would make the sale of spurious seeds a non-bailable offence. There are around 25K licensed seed dealers in Panjab, apart from govt and semi-govt bodies such as universities, cooperative societies, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited, and Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd. Private dealers argue that they buy sealed, certified seeds from govt-approved manufacturers or packagers, and sell these sealed packets directly to farmers without any tampering or repackaging. Therefore, they are not responsible for manufacturing, breeding, or certification of the seeds. Quality assurance is the responsibility of the seed producers, who could be companies, universities, govt depts, and farmers (as big companies also engage farmers in their seed growing process), not the retailers. The outcome of the crop, they argue, also depends on weather, soil, human effort, and farming practices, not just the seed itself. Concurrently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted a stay on the enforcement of the Panjab govt’s notification banning 12 pesticide molecules on Basmati paddy crops. The case was filed by the Crop Care Federation of India which challenged the notification on grounds of arbitrariness and lack of scientific evidence (earlier coverage).