New Seed Bill! Leathel weapon to farmers?

I watched television news item yesterday. The agriculture minister was challenging to farmers or farmers organizations to have a debate with him about the importance of new Seeds bill to farmers. New Act has cited as Seeds act No 22 of 2003. This is an act to regulate the quality of seeds and planting materials. The formation of National Seed Council with the Secretary to the Agriculture ministry as the sole authority to certify seeds and with out their certification, any one can produce, sell and propagate any seeds in the country. The major challenge of new seed bill as far as we see is that the facilitation to the domination and total monopoly of the seeds companies in the seeds market. The National Seeds Council may bought by Seeds companies and those seeds produced by the same companies would be introduced as eligible seeds. Then the rest of the seeds produced by our farmers, some farmer groups who practice to produce local seeds varieties, Indigenous Seeds Promotion groups no more eligible to produce seeds unless they get the certification from the National Seeds Council. Traditionally, our farmers used to keep the best seeds for their next term cultivation and did not depend on the out siders or even fellow farmers for their cultivation. Also, women played a vital role to propagate the seeds for next generation. Unless, they register under the National Seeds Council, those women and farmers groups could be illegible under this bill. We as NAFSO expect to discuss the pros and cons of the act and take appropriate actions among NAFSO related farmer groups and more. The PARL is one forum we want to take action on this. Herman