The Hindu : Raise exports, Dhindsa tells pesticides industry

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Sunday, Jan 05, 2003

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Raise exports, Dhindsa tells pesticides industry

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Jan. 4. The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, S. S. Dhindsa, today asked the pesticides industry to make concerted efforts to increase the export of pesticides and capture a higher share in the world market.

Speaking on the occasion of the 39th annual session of the Pesticides Association of India, he said that the transition from a protected regime to a de-licensed liberalised era had exposed the industry to international competition, resulting in declining prices and profit margins.

Though the industry faced intense competition, had low investments in R&D, few proprietary molecules, few product patents, large idle capacity, small-scale operations and price under-cutting, "it may further see a major shake-up on account of mergers taking place among the MNCs."

At the same time, he cautioned that the manufacturing standards were likely to be implemented more rigorously, which would ensure that only plants with recognised GMP continued to exists. The movement towards integrated pest management (IPM) would grow and may well result in the introduction of new bio-pesticides.

The issue of monitoring of pesticide residues in food and agricultural commodities would occupy an important position in both domestic sales and exports of agro-based products, Mr. Dhindsa said.

Emphasising the importance of internal vigilance and monitoring by the industry as the answer to the problem of spurious and duplicate pesticides, he said the Centre had notified insecticide inspectors, in addition to the inspectors of the State Governments, to ensure supply of quality pesticides to farmers.

He assured the industry that the Government would look into their problems, such as delay in securing registration from Central Insecticides Board, environmental clearance, high incidence of excise duty and sales tax in certain states and inadequacy of testing facilities in laboratories.

The chairman of the Pesticides Association of India, R. D. Shroff, raised some of the problems faced by the industry.

Referring to the problem of spurious and duplicate pesticides, he sought an action plan apart from more stringent measures.

Mr. Shroff said the annual scholarship of Rs. 10,000, awarded to meritorious M.Sc. students, had been awarded to C. Vennila of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, for the year 2001-2002.

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