India - Pesticide and seed associations halt supplies across Haryana in protest against amendment bills

In a strong show of dissent, the Pesticide Manufacturing Association, Haryana, along with the Seed Producer Association, has suspended the supply of seeds and pesticides across the state in protest against two recently proposed legislative amendments. The associations have demanded the immediate withdrawal of The Seeds (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Pesticide (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2025, stating that the proposed changes are detrimental to manufacturers, dealers, distributors, and ultimately, the farming community.

The decision to halt all supplies was taken at a joint meeting held on April 6, 2025, at Saini Dharamshala in Kurukshetra. The meeting witnessed participation from representatives, distributors, and dealers from various parts of Haryana. According to a formal statement released by Sanjay Gupta, President of the Pesticide Manufacturing Association, the members unanimously agreed to suspend all product supplies in protest.

The Seed Producer Association had already suspended its supply operations from April 3, 2025, and now, with the Pesticide Association joining the movement, dealers and distributors have declared a complete one-week shutdown of shops starting April 7, 2025.

The associations believe that the amendments, if implemented, would disrupt the current system of seed and pesticide distribution, adversely affecting not just business stakeholders but also the state’s farmers who rely heavily on timely access to these inputs for the Kharif season preparations.

The protest has extended beyond state borders, as the associations have reached out to companies and industry players across the country, urging them to join the movement by halting their supplies to Haryana until the amendment bills are withdrawn.

″We strongly urge the concerned authorities to withdraw both amendments with immediate effect,″ the association stated, emphasizing that supply operations will remain suspended indefinitely if the government does not address their concerns.

The state government has yet to issue an official response to the ongoing strike, which is expected to have a significant impact on the availability of agricultural inputs if the deadlock continues.