Haryana Horticulture Nurseries Bill explained: Key features and penalties

The Haryana government is set to introduce the ‘Haryana Horticulture Nurseries Bill, 2025’ during the ongoing Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha to regulate horticulture nurseries.

The proposed legislation aims to ban the sale and distribution of horticulture plants and plant materials with unknown pedigree or those infected with pests and diseases.

Owners can register their horticulture nurseries for cultivating fruits, vegetables, spices, condiments, flowers, ornamental plants, and medicinal or aromatic crops.

Need for a new Act

At present, the Haryana Fruit Nursery Act, 1961, is in force in the state. However, according to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the ‘Haryana Horticulture Nurseries Bill, 2025,’ the 1961 Act lacks a well-defined regulatory framework for nurseries other than fruit nurseries.

This gap has resulted in the sale of substandard and disease-prone planting material, leading to reduced crop productivity and economic losses for farmers and customers. The Bill further states that there is no quality control mechanism in the 1961 Act for horticulture nurseries dealing with vegetables, spices, condiments, flowers, ornamental, medicinal, and aromatic crops.

It adds that due to this gap, unauthorised nurseries operate without accountability, leading to the spread of planting material of unknown pedigree and the proliferation of pests and diseases among horticultural crops.

Process for obtaining a nursery licence

A nursery owner must obtain a licence from the competent authority within six months of the Act’s commencement.

The competent authority, to be appointed by the state government, must not be below the rank of Additional Director. A separate licence will be required for each nursery.

For a new licence or renewal, the competent authority will direct an inspecting officer to inspect the horticulture nursery and submit a report, based on which the licence will be granted. Each licence will be valid for five years.

An appeal against the competent authority's decision can be filed before the Additional Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department.

The nursery owner must maintain a register and other records for at least ten years in the case of fruit plants and two years in the case of other horticulture plants and plant material. For fruit plants, it is mandatory to maintain a complete record of the origin or source of every rootstock and scion- including the botanical and local names.

Can an owner sell imported plants?

Nursery owners will be permitted to sell varieties developed by state horticultural universities, state agricultural universities, or the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), as well as those developed by private seed companies.

If a nursery owner sells an imported variety of fruit plant produced outside India, the plant must be accompanied by an import permit and a phytosanitary certificate and must undergo post-entry quarantine.

If there is a risk of spreading insects, pests, or diseases to other nurseries, the nursery owner must quarantine all horticulture plants and plant material. The infected plants must not be used or supplied for further propagation. The competent authority may also order the destruction of such infected plants and plant material.

Penalties

For violating any provision of the Act, the nursery owner “shall be liable for imprisonment of either description which may extend to one year or with fine up to one lakh rupees only or with both.”

If a plant or plant material is found to be inauthentic, it will be considered a violation of the Act. The nursery owner will be liable for compensation, which, in the case of horticulture plants other than ornamental plants, can be equal to or up to twice the cost of cultivation, and in the case of ornamental plants, can be double the purchase cost of the plant.

If a company violates the Act, both the company and the responsible persons in charge of its business operations will be held accountable and prosecuted accordingly.