Industry demands review of proposed ban on 27 pesticides

The pesticides industry has launched a push-back against the Centre’s move to ban 27 pesticides by slamming the report submitted by a government-appointed panel as “arbitrary”.

The Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulations Association of India (PMFAI) demanded an inquiry into the Anupam Varma Committee Report that recommended ban on 27 pesticides to curb use of chemicals in agriculture.

“The ban on these pesticides will hit India’s exports by 50% and throw open the international market to Chinese companies,” PMFAI president Pradip Dave told reporters here.

The association had shared their concerns with R K Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, who had written to Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal concurring with the industry view.

Also on the list of pesticides is Malathion, which is used in the locust control operations, in the country.

Dave said the PMFAI believed that the report had not taken into the record all the evidence and data on hand about the pesticides and demanded the government appoint a high-powered scientific committee to look into the findings.

The Anupam Varma Committee was formed on July 18, 2013, and its original mandate was to examine the continued use of three neo-nicotinoids based pesticides, he said. On August 19, 2013, the committee’s mandate was expanded to review 66 pesticides that are banned, restricted or withdrawn in some other countries, but are used in India.

The PMFAI said that the 27 generic pesticide formulations to be banned cost between Rs 350 to Rs 450 per litre, while the imported alternatives will cost in the range of Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 per litre. Today, the total global market size of generic agrochemicals is ₹30,000 crore, and a ban in India will be beneficial to China.