The Union Government has reversed its earlier decision on 27 pesticides, which were banned in May 2020 The manufacturing, import, sale, distribution and use of pesticides are regulated under the Insecticides Act (1968) with a view to preventing risk to human beings or animals and for matters connected therewith. The Registration Committee (RC) – set up under the Act – registers every pesticide after scrutinising the formula, verifying claims of efficacy and safety to human beings and animals and specifying the precautions against poisoning and any other functions. It is empowered to refuse registration of any pesticide if issues pertaining to safety have not been satisfactorily adhered to. From time to time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW)...
More
Comments are closed
Category: Insecticides Act
Missing the woods for the trees
The thrust of the proposed pesticides Bill should be on incentivising innovators to invest in R&D and bring new crop protection solutions A major factor that could make or mar the Modi government’s mission of doubling farmers’ income has to do with the loss of anywhere between 10 and 30 per cent damage to crop production due to pests and disease. The use of pesticides is the most effective way of stemming these losses. The manufacture, import, distribution, and use of pesticides is regulated under the Insecticides Act, 1968, its main objective being ‘to prevent risk to human beings or animals and for matters connected therewith’. The government wants to replace this with a new law. The Pesticides Management Bill, introduced last...
More
Comments are closed
Get ‘data exclusivity’ right
Agro-chemical majors won’t find India attractive for investment, as long as the regulator micro-manages even production decisions In the agrochemical sector, out of the total import of technical material or active ingredients that go into making end-use formulations, imports from China alone account for about 50%. Given China’s frequent changes in rules, targeting of MNCs, its deteriorating trade and investment relationship with the US, European countries and Japan, and questions over its role in spread of Covid-19 globally, hundreds of MNCs are planning to exit that country. They would either go back to their country of origin, or look for relocation destinations such as India. The Modi government has strongly indicated its intent to bring them here. In the agrochemical...
More
Comments are closed
Green the soil
The Centre’s decision to ban 27 commonly-used pesticides in all three main categories, namely insecticides, fungicides and weedicides, is a move in the right direction The decision of the Centre to ban 27 commonly-used pesticides in all three main categories, viz. insecticides, fungicides and weedicides, in India has led to consternation among various stakeholders, particularly a certain section of the industry. To understand the issue and its implications, let us put a few facts in order. The manufacturing, import, sale, distribution and use of pesticides are regulated under the Insecticides Act (1968) with a view to prevent risk to human beings or animals and for matters connected therewith. The Registration Committee (RC) — set up under the Act — registers every pesticide...
More
Comments are closed
Pesticide ban – industry’s negative stance is untenable
The decision of the union government to ban 27 commonly-used pesticides in all three main categories viz. insecticides, fungicides and weedicides in India has led to consternation among various stakeholders particularly a certain section of the industry. To understand the issue and its implications, let us put a few facts in order. The manufacturing, import, sale, distribution and use of pesticides is regulated under the Insecticides Act [1968] with a view to prevent risk to human beings or animals, and for matters connected therewith. The Registration Committee [RC] – set up under the Act – registers every pesticide after scrutinizing the formula, verifying claims of efficacy and safety to human beings and animals and specifying the precautions against poisoning and...
More
Comments are closed
Make in India – can’t be at farmers cost
Under its “Make in India” initiative, Modi – government is pulling all stops to give a boost to indigenous industry even if it means cutting down on imports. While, use of WTO compatible measures such as increasing import duty is welcome, it would raise many eyebrows if the government starts giving orders to stakeholders even with regard to their production/import decisions. This is precisely what it has done to manufacturers/importers in the agro-chemical sector. Before we look at the diktat, at the outset, a bit of background check is in order. According to a statement by the then Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar in Parliament, nearly 10-30 per cent of crop production — valued at about Rs.1,50,000 crore a year —...
More
No comments
Why irresponsible registration of pesticide companies must be reined in
The Parliamentary standing committee on agriculture in its 2015-16 report—Impact of chemical fertilisers and pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country—has expressed serious concern over unscientific, excessive use of pesticides. The Parliamentary standing committee on agriculture in its 2015-16 report—Impact of chemical fertilisers and pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country—has expressed serious concern over unscientific, excessive use of pesticides. It laments that associated problems have not been properly addressed by central and state governments. Even as the committee exhorts the Centre for ‘a comprehensive action plan for ensuring environment sustainable manufacturing, import, sale and use of pesticides’, review of the Insecticides Act (IA),1968 and setting up of Pesticides Development and Regulation Authority (PDRA), it has...
More
No comments
Pesticide woes – urgent need to rein in “Me-Too”
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture in its report for the year 2015-16 entitled “Impact of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country” has expressed serious concern over un-scientific and excessive use of pesticides. It laments that associated problems have not been addressed properly by the Government of India [GOI] and State Governments. Even as the committee exhorts GOI for ‘a comprehensive action plan for ensuring environment sustainable manufacturing, import, sale and use of pesticides’, review of the Insecticides Act [IA] [1968] and setting up of Pesticides Development and Regulation Authority [PDRA], it has skirted an innocuous section 9(4) in IA which lies at the root of the mentioned problems. The Registration Committee [RC] –...
More
No comments
Toxic food – sign of deeper malaise in pesticide sector
Crop protection products [CPP] or pesticides as these are commonly known – are meant to protect plants from pests and disease so that they are healthy and in turn, help farmers in garnering higher yield and better crop quality. But, imagine what would happen if pesticides themselves start posing risk to humans, animals, birds, water, air, land etc? This is precisely what has happened during the last more than a decade ago or so. In 2003, a joint parliamentary committee [JPC] had taken a serious view of presence of pesticides in drinking water, beverages and soft drinks much in excess of global standards. The JPC had then made far reaching recommendations that included inter alia formulation of standards for individual...
More
No comments
Data exclusivity for agrochemicals brooks no delay
As per reports, Modi – government is considering a proposal to grant data exclusivity (DE) for agrochemicals for a period of 5 years. This could be a precursor to grant of similar dispensation for pharmaceuticals. The development may come as a pleasant surprise to US and EU based multinationals in both these segments who – backed by their respective governments – have been pitching for this for a long time but constantly rebuffed by Indian lawmakers thus far, ostensibly on the ground that grant of DE would be TRIPs (trade related intellectual property rights) plus. So, what does the TRIPs agreement of WTO (1995) which India implemented vide an amendment to the Indian Patent Act (2005) – after leveraging the...
More
No comments