Considering mechanism to curb ‘indiscriminate’ pricing of pesticides, says Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan

“We will try to fix a mechanism for this in a scientific way, so that farmers are not charged indiscriminate prices,” the minister said, adding, “We will try to make a mechanism based on the cost incurred.”

Stressing on the importance of good quality seeds, he said, “The availability and trustworthiness of good seeds is also necessary. If the seed quality is not good then farmers suffer a lot. In this regard too we have decided to put in place a system to ensure that the farmers receive certified seeds.”

“A stringent law should be enacted to curb sale of substandard quality seeds and spurious pesticides. This has been expressed by all. We are working on that,” the minister said.

Last month, Chouhan met farmers during the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA), held from May 9 to June 12. “One thing that I found in the whole country was that people expressed concerns about substandard pesticides and seeds, and they said that many times they get looted and harassed due to this. Hence a strict law should be made,” Chouhan said in an interview to The Indian Express earlier.

Pesticide use in Indian farms

According to the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS), which comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, the total area under cultivation stood at 213 million hectares in 2023-24 (both rabi and kharif seasons), of which 146 million hectares were under the use of pesticides, while the remaining 67 million hectares did not use any of pesticide.

Of the total area under pesticide use, 113 million hectares were under the use of chemical pesticides, 12.8 million hectares under bio-pesticides, and 20 million hectares under both chemical and bio-pesticides.

The demand for chemical pesticides has increased by 15 per cent in five years from 69,211 metric tonnes in 2019-20 to 79,706 metric tonnes in 2023-24. Most of this demand is from states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Crops that use the most amount of pesticides include cereals, cash crops, vegetables, pulses, and fruits.