Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that his ministry is putting a “scientific” mechanism to curb the “indiscriminate” pricing of pesticides, even reiterated that the government is working to frame a stringent law to check the sale of inferior seeds and spontaneous pesticides.
Speaking after the annual general meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Monday, Chauhan said, “There is a written MRP (maximum retail price) on pesticides etc., but it is not real. Sometimes, farmers are invested more money.”
The minister said, “We will try to fix a mechanism for this in a scientific way, so that farmers cannot be accused of indiscriminate prices,” the minister said, “We will try to create a mechanism based on cost.”
Emphasizing the importance of good quality seeds, he said, “The availability and reliableness of good seeds is also necessary. If the quality of the seed is not good, the farmers are very damaged. In this regard, we have decided to install a system to ensure that farmers get certified seeds.”
The minister said, “A stringent law must be implemented to curb the sale of inferior quality seeds and spontaneous pesticides. It has been expressed by all. We are working on it,” the minister said.
Last month, Chauhan met farmers during the Vikasit Krishi Shankalap Abhiyan (VKSA) held from 9 May to 12 June. “One thing I found all over the country was that people had expressed concern about poor pesticides and seeds, and they said that they were robbed and harassed several times. The Indian Express First.
Use of pesticides in Indian fields
According to the Directorate of Plant Protection, Protection and Storage (PPQs), which falls under the Ministry of Welfare of Agriculture and Farmers, a total area under farming was in 2023-24 in 213 million hectares (both Rabi and Kharif season), out of which 146 million hectares were used, while the remaining 67 million hectares were not used.
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Under the use of pesticides, 113 million hectares were under the use of chemical pesticides, 12.8 million hectares under bio -pesticides, and 20 million hectares under chemical and bio -pesticides.
In 2019-20, the demand for chemical pesticides from 69,211 metric tonnes increased by 15 percent in five years, in 2023-24 to 79,706 MT. Most of this demand are from states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Crops using pesticides in the highest amounts include grains, cash crops, vegetables, pulses and fruits.
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