The minister said with the liberalization of seed policy, big companies have also established their facilities in India. Mr Rawat was also of the view that they are mostly concentrating on specialized crops and varieties that are their own research product and selling them as proprietary item. "As such, volume of seeds remain either with the public sector or in the hand of small companies with limited resources," he said.

On the role of PSUs, minister said, "The public sector units need to realign themselves to become more farmer-friendly and their products must be as per the market demand. Recognizing the contribution of seed companies in the public sector in the past, the goodwill they have established in the market and the level of infrastructure and reach they possess, I feel these companies, including the NSC, should work with clear vision about what the country needs in the light of a growing population, limited arable land, constraints in expanding irrigation facilities and adverse impact of climate, chemicals and fertilizers and growing demand of type and kind of seeds."

Dr R S Paroda, chairman, Farmers' Commission of Haryana, also highlighted the achievements of the seed industry in India and areas needing particular attention. He called for a national mission on seeds and said the new seed bill, under consideration of Parliament, will lead to reforms in the seed sector.