Agri-input dealers launch week-long strike across state over new seed law

Protesting the recently enacted Seed (Haryana Amendment) Act, 2025, and changes to the Insecticides Act, seed, pesticide, and fertiliser dealers across Haryana have launched a week-long strike, shutting down over 1,400 shops in districts such as Panipat, Karnal, and Sonepat.

The protest was triggered after a state-level meeting held in Kurukshetra on Sunday, where associations unanimously decided to oppose the new law by halting operations statewide. Traders claim the amended Act imposes excessive and impractical penalties, including jail terms of up to three years and fines of Rs 3 lakh for selling substandard products — now categorised as non-bailable offences.

In Sonepat, over 600 dealers participated under the banner of the Sonepat Seed and Pesticide Association. “Farmers and shopkeepers both will suffer due to this law. The government must reconsider its decision,” said association president Satish Kumar Binny. “We have already submitted memoranda to BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli and Sonepat mayor Rajiv Jain.”

In Panipat, dealers assembled at Sanoli Road under the Panipat Seeds and Pesticides Association, raising slogans against the law. “The government has made strict provisions that treat shopkeepers like criminals,” said Jatin Juneja, a member of the association. “We are not terrorists. This law is unfair and needs to be rolled back.”

The shutdown also hit Karnal district hard, where all 850 shops — including around 125 in the city — remained shut. “The law contains unreasonable clauses that make business impossible. Even minor violations can now land traders in jail under non-bailable charges,” said Ramkumar Gupta, president, Karnal Fertiliser, Pesticide and Seed Traders Association.

Dealers from Karnal also submitted memoranda to local MLAs, including Karnal MLA Jagmohan Anand, Assandh MLA Yoginder Rana, and Haryana Assembly Speaker Havinder Kalyan, urging them to take up the matter with the state government.

Gupta warned that if no solution is found by the end of the strike, dealers may shut down operations indefinitely. “We’ve also received support from national-level seed and pesticide companies, who have now decided to halt supplies to Haryana,” he added.

With the kharif sowing season approaching, dealers say the strike could disrupt agri-input supply, impacting farmers directly. “If farmers suffer, the government will be solely responsible,” Gupta said.

Haryana Tribune