Phytosanitary norms not to be diluted: EGoM

Govt ignores US pressure for relaxation ahead of wheat imports.

India has decided not to dilute phytosanitary norms for imported wheat consignments in view of the risks of harmful weeds and pests entering the agricultural chain.

An empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on wheat headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee recently accepted the recommendation of a committee of secretaries (CoS) to this effect.

The CoS had recommended that diluting phytosanitary norms should not be undertaken, given that imported wheat is meant for the public distribution system, so the seeds and resulting harmful weeds end up in the fields and seriously impact production.
 

SMOKING OUT THE WEED Total quantity of quarantine weed seeds intercepted in imported wheat in 2006-07
Weed	Weight of weed  seeds in gm  (per 100 seeds)	Quantity  (kg) in  imports	Number of  weed seeds  detected
Cenchrus tribuloides	3.10	165	53,22,581
Solanum carolinense	0.44	693	15,75,00,000
Viola arvensis	0.06	184	30,66,66,667
Ambrosia trifida	2.88	53	1,848
Around 6 million tonnes of wheat were imported in 2006-07 Source: Ministry of Agriculture data to EGoM

 
The refusal to relax phytosanitary norms comes after the US said it was not in a position to certify that its wheat met Indian tolerance limits for quarantine weeds.

US officials have criticised India's phytosanitary regime as being unjustifiably stiff and lobbied for a relaxation, saying US participation in India's wheat imports would lower import prices.

The government proposes to import up to 4 million tonnes of wheat through multiple tenders for the current financial year to meet a shortfall in its targeted domestic procurement of 15 million tonnes. The EGoM was set up in March this year to work on a strategy to augment domestic wheat stocks.

The issue over phytosanitary standards concerns "tolerance" levels of quarantine weeds stipulated in the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003. Most wheat-exporting countries like Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Argentina and Canada meet India' s requirements on this score.

India, however, relaxed phytosanitary norms significantly in July 2006, when it imported 6 million tonnes of wheat to augment domestic stocks for public distribution.

Though the number of detected weeds was within prescribed limits, the agriculture ministry said the issue remained a concern.

Indian government agencies have estimated that the canary grass (phalaris minor) weed seeds, which seeped in with previous imports, invaded wheat-growing areas especially in Punjab and Haryana. This weed has caused a 15 per cent loss in yield equivalent to 4.4 million tonnes and Rs 3,740 crore.

The authorities have also said that controlling this weed consumes an estimated 57 per cent of the total herbicides used in India, with farmers spending around Rs 320 crore annually on weed killers.

Another weed "� parthenium "� has spread all over the country, causing health problems and concurrent economic losses.