Proposed Pesticides Management Bill should provide equal opportunity for Indian companies: Pesticide manufacturers

HYDERABAD: Pesticide manufacturers today demanded the centre not to allow foreign players to import Pesticides Formulations (PF) without registering technical details or information about the active ingredients with Indian authorities.

The Confederation of All India Small and Medium Pesticides Manufacturers Association (CAPMA) also demanded that the proposed Pesticides Management Bill-2017 should provide a level playing field for Indian companies, so that Indian farmer get benefitted.

"In the interest of Indian farmers and Indian industries, the registration authorities should immediately stop allowing registrations for imports of Pesticide Formulations without registering its Technical Grade products in India," CAPMA president Raja Mahender Reddy told reporters here "It is very relevant to note that FAO/WHO and other major agricultural nations such as USA, Europe, Australia, Brazil and China also mandate registration of Technical Grade Pesticides before granting registrations for formulations," he said.

He alleged that the proposed legislation on pesticides was silent on the need for compulsory registration of Technicals or Active Ingredients which may create "monopoly" for formulation importers.

Reddy further alleged that there is no clarity on definitions and registration procedures for pesticides formulations and technical details which may lead to "harassment" of manufacturers and traders, by authorities.

"Over-regulation of exports of pesticides in the PMB can adversely affect exports," he added.

The draft of the proposed Pesticides Management Bill-2017 was recently released by the Department of Agriculture seeking comments from the stakeholders.

According to him, India imports Rs 16,000 crore worth of pesticides every year while the domestic demand was pegged at up to Rs 25,000 crore.