‘Abolish excise duty on pesticides’
Tribune News ServiceLudhiana, March 11
The government should abolish 16 per cent excise duty on pesticides to help farmers. The Finance Minister’s decision to provide tax holiday to the food processing industry will not help farmers in any significant manner, except the big industrial groups, said Mr Ram Gopal Agarwal, Chairman, Dhanuka Pesticides Group.
He said, “Indian pesticides companies are passing through a critical phase. The government has not provided any support to the industry in the Budget. The lack of education on the part of farmers to use the pesticides in a judicious manner was causing environmental hazards in the utilisation of pesticides.”
He was in the city today in connection with a dealers’ meet of the company. Nearly 200 dealers from Punjab had gathered to participate in the meet.
Regarding the penetration of spurious pesticides in the market, Mr Agarwal said, “The government has failed to take stringent actions against the spurious pesticide manufacturers. In fact, some of the government officials are helping the production and its distribution in the region.”
Mr Agarwal refuted the allegation that the pesticides were harmful to the environment. He said it was not the pesticides but the misutilisation or overutilisation by the farmers was harming the crops and environment.There was a need to educate the farmers about the optimal utilisation of pesticides and fertilisers.
The Indian pesticides industry needed immediate help as it was growing at a negative rate because of the drought in number of states and fall in agriculture production. The so-called environmentalists were playing in the hands of big companies and foreign countries by opposing the use of pesticides.
He disclosed that the technology for less toxic and less harmful pesticides was available in the market. The government should involve the private companies in the agriculture extension activities to educate the farmers about the right usage of the pesticides.
The company is opening an agriculture clinic soon at Jalandhar to educate farmers. The group has turnover of Rs 140 crore and was involved in six extension projects under the National Coordinated Integrated Pest Management Programme, including at Bathinda and Faridkot.
There is a lot of potential for exports in this area. At present the domestic market is limited to Rs 3,000 crore and the exports Rs 1,500 crore. The country was also importing pesticides worth Rs 150 crore annually. The total international market of pesticides is, however, about $ 70 billion, he added.
