The crop loss due pests, weeds and diseases is estimated at Rs 1.4 lakh crore annually in the country. This is further compounded by the flourishing spurious pesticide market worth about Rs 1,200 crore.
Of the total Indian pesticide market worth over Rs 5,000 crore, almost a fourth is accounted for by the spurious or sub-standard brands.
“Unfortunately, the gullible farmers cannot differentiate between real pesticide and spurious varieties, and get cheated,” Agrochemicals Policy Group (APG) director Salil Singhal told Business Standard.
“Not only the poor farmers lose their investment, the spurious pesticides also do not control pests and result in crop loss,” he lamented.
APG is an association of over 200 crop protection companies in India to promote safe use of pesticides in the interest of farmers and consumers.
He said the situation was quite alarming in Uttar Pradesh also, where the total pesticide market was estimated at over Rs 30 crore, of which 25-30 per cent is spurious pesticide trade. “Most of the spurious pesticide units are located in western UP,” he claimed.
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An APG delegation met senior state government officials, including agriculture production commissioner Anis Ansari and urged them to take immediate steps against such units.
“We also discussed ways to educate farmers about greater utilisation of pesticide to increase agricultural productivity,” Rajen Sundaresan of APG said.