AgroPages-PMFAI appealed the Draft Notification & Banning of Insecticides Order 2020 in abeyance and start the Scientific Review Process-Agricultural news

Pradip Dave

President

Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Assocoation of India(PMFAI)

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The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued a Draft Notification S.O. 1512(E), dated 14th May 2020 and Banning of Insecticides Order, 2020 with proposed ban to stop Import, Manufacturing, Sale, Transportation, Distribution and Use of 27 Generic Pesticides, and inviting objections/suggestions in 45 days’ time.

This banning order will hurt Indian Pesticide Industry by Rs.16,000 crores(domestic market and exports, USD 2.11 billion) and the related chemical industries. These Generic Pesticides are made available to farmers by Indian companies at most affordable prices, to protect their crops from pests and diseases.

It is most regretful that at a time when India is going through its worst ever crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic, entire Indian Pesticides MSME businesses are struggling to survive and supply essential Agrochemicals to Indian farmers to help our Food Security, world over Governments are offering businesses, subsidies and financial help to survive, India under PM’s Atmanirbhar Bharat is offering Rs. 20 Lakhs Crores(USD 263.9 billion) of help to economy, the Agriculture Department is proposing to ban 40% of the Indian Pesticides Manufacturing business. The same Agriculture Department is promoting import of Readymade Pesticides against the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The 27 pesticides proposed to be banned accounts for about 40% of total market of Rs.40,000 crores(Domestic & Exports, USD 5.28 billion) worth Generic Pesticides Market in India. Indian generic pesticides manufacturers exports pesticides worth Rs.22,000 crores(USD 2.9 billion) to global markets including developed countries like US, Europe with no complaints from any country. The proposed ban of 27 Generic Pesticides is a MNC conspiracy with bureaucrats, to replace Generic Pesticides with imported, very expensive, readymade products manufactured by MNCs and to strangle Indian Generic Pesticides and the raw material chain of related chemical industry.

Presently, total imports of readymade pesticide formulations alone stands at Rs.4,000 crores plus, which is growing 10%-15% annually and is a threat to domestic industry. MNCs are trying to grab India’s generic market and replace with high costly imported products, which needs to be stopped as the same will be damaging to Indian Farmers and Indian Generic pesticide manufacturers. It will also increase the costs of farmers multifold and ultimately the price of the Food produced.

Detailed Report of the Expert Committee which recommended ban of 27 generic pesticides is not yet made available to industry to understand the reasons for ban. PMFAI appealed to the Government that Pesticides Product review being a scientific process, the observations and concerns of authorities should be brought to the knowledge of industries to address the scientific concerns if any, before unilaterally proposing ban of the products. Indian Pesticide industry submitted all products data as required by Registration Committee and thereby completed all requirements. Thus, banning of these 27 generic pesticides is against the natural course of the Justice. This will create shortage of economical generic pesticides which is currently available to Indian farmers.

Considering the crisis situation the nation is going through, PMFAI appealed to Hon’ble Prime Minister and Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, to keep the above Draft Notification & Banning of Insecticides Order, 2020 in abeyance and start the Scientific Review Process along with consultation with stakeholders.