With the US pushing India to reduce import duty on alfalfa (lucerne) fodder seed, the government is preparing the ground for restricting the genetically modified (GM) version of the crop from entering the country. The Americans grow both GM and non-GM varieties of alfalfa, which derives its name from the Arabic world al-fasfasa that means the best forage.
“Scientists may have to develop an easy test kit so that it can be verified before unloading,” a source said, adding that it is possible to develop such a kit at a short notice.
Currently, domestically-produced alfalfa seed is available in the market in the range of ₹500-800/kg, whereas the imported seeds cost higher due to import duty, sources said.
50% import duty
The effective import duty on Lucerne (alfalfa) seed (HS code 12092100) is 50.045 per cent which includes basic customs duty (BCD) of 30 per cent, agri (AIDC) cess 30 per cent levied against BCD, social welfare surcharge 10 per cent (on BCD+AIDC) and IGST 5 per cent.
Besides, the import of alfalfa seeds has to adhere to the plant protection guidelines of the Agriculture Ministry, and it has to arrive with a valid phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country, meeting Indian standards. Currently, alfalfa seeds are not imported, as India has been growing the crop domestically. It is not economical for widespread use due to the import duty, trade sources said.
India imports Berseem seeds for fodder purposes from Egypt and some CIS countries. The import quantum used to be very high a few years ago but it has come down now to about 500 tonnes a year because of the rise in its domestic production. However, industry sources said since it used to be cheaper and high yielding, there was preference for the imported varieties.
Direct fodder better?
Official data show that the import of clover (Trifolium spp) seed of forage plants (HS code 12092200), which included Berseem seeds, was 618 tonnes during April 2024-January 2025 against 5776 tonnes in the year-ago period.
Since growing alfalfa requires more water, it may be a better option to facilitate direct fodder import from the US rather than seeds, sources said, adding it will help India supplement fodder availability while expanding the are under agricultural crops like oilseeds and pulses.
The US is the world’s largest alfalfa producer, where it is grown mostly under rainfed conditions and the yield is also lower when compared with the same crop grown under irrigation.