The use of sub-standard and spurious pesticides could lead to a loss of 10.6 million tonnes (mt) of food produce this year in India, according to a study by industry chamber FICCI conducted in association with the Tata Strategic Management Group.
Titled ‘Study on Sub-standard, Spurious/Counterfeit Pesticides in India’ and released here on Wednesday, the report estimates the proportion of counterfeit pesticides as high as 40 per cent by 2019.
“It is a problematic area with serious implications for farmers and Indian agriculture, society and economy at large. These products not only fail to take care of pests but also inflict damage on crops and the environment,” JS Sandhu, Deputy Director General, Indian Council of Agriculture Research, is quoted as saying.
The use of such pesticides is growing at about 20 per cent every year with Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana and West Bengal being the worst-affected States.
Illegal pesticides can lower yields by 4 per cent, the study says, and render soil degraded for cultivation of succeeding crops in the cultivation cycle.
Ground and surface water is also contaminated due to heavy metals and toxic chemicals present in such products.
“Only 25-30 per cent of farmers are aware of the use of pesticides and don’t exactly know what to spray in their fields…hence, most can’t make out the authenticity of the pesticides they are buying,” the study says.
It blames the dependence on commission agents (adhtiyas) who typically run seed and pesticide retail shops as a source of the problem since they extend credit to farmers who are forced to buy inputs exclusively from them. “Our study indicates that 50 to 60 per cent of farmers purchase pesticides on credit. Therefore, it is not in their interest to refuse the product which is offered by these agents /retailers who often refuse to provide credit on branded products,” it says.
Recommendations include farmers demanding a receipt and maintaining a record of the crop care materials used, while the village community could identify authorised retailers.
The report urged companies to improve outreach programmes through the radio, organise awareness camps, and also monitor of end-retailers for whom a database should be maintained.
The Indian crop protection industry is estimated to be worth ₹25,000 crore (about $3.7 billion) including exports, of which between ₹2,780 crore and ₹3,475 crore is believed to comprise non-genuine pesticides.

Source : The Hindu Business Line