Page 140 - CW E-Magazine (16-1-2024)

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55TH AGM
Equipments
Weak domestic and export demand posing Equipments
challenging times for agrochemicals: PMFAI

The Indian agrochemical industry
faced challenging times in 2023 both
on the domestic market front and in
exports. While poor monsoon rains
in many parts of the country, affected
agricultural production and the agri-
input industries, exports to major mar-
kets have also declined.

These were some of the observations
made by Mr. Pradip Dave, President,
Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators
Association of India (PMFAI), while
speaking at the 55th Annual General
Meeting (AGM) of the association in
Mumbai on December 22, 2023.

Mr. Pradip Dave, Dr. Samir Dave,
Secretary and Mr. Ketan Mehta, Treasu- and Rajya Sabha in December 2021, of technicals and formulations in the
rer, briefed members about PMFAI’s the major concern of PMFAI has been forthcoming budget.
efforts during the last year. the provisions in the Bill for harsh
punishments and penalties. PMFAI has PMFAI with the support from Mini-
A noteworthy achievement of the made submission to the Government stry of Environment, Forest & Climate
association during the last year was in for relaxations and has appealed to Change, and Ministry of Agriculture &
getting a policy decision from the Mini- the Government for de-criminalisation Farmers Welfare, also strongly opposed
stry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of minor non-compliances. the proposal made by European Union
and Central Insecticides Board & (EU) for listing the popular herbicide,
Registration Committee making it for Earlier in 2020, Government had chlorpyrifos, in Annexure-A of the
mandatory to obtain registration for a proposed the banning of 27 pesticides, Stockholm Convention on Persistent
technical grade pesticide in India, prior which included many popular products Organic Pollutants (POPs). “Strong
to registration of its formulation for used in India and several countries all defence by PMFAI led to the Review
imports or indigenous manufacture. over the world. After objections and Committee seeking further information 43
suggestions by PMFAI and joint efforts on socio-economic considerations from
According to Mr. Dave, this policy with other stakeholders, the ban was member countries and for review in
decision will help the registration of a restricted to just four products, viz., 2024,” he said.
larger number of technical grade pro- Dinocap, Dicofol, Methomyl and Mono-
ducts in India for indigenous manufac- crotophos 36 SL formulation. Social causes
ture, broadening the product portfolio of The meet also highlighted PMFAI’s
Indian companies, particularly MSMEs, Mr. Padip Dave also noted that the continuous efforts to contribute to
and increase in exports from India. government has accepted PMFAI’s social causes by providing fi nancial
recommendation for separate HS code assistance for education by way of
Though the Parliamentary Standing classifi cation of Technical Grade Pesti- scholarship to children of farmers pursuing
Committee on Agriculture has submit- cides and Formulations, and is expecting graduate and post-graduate courses in
ted its reports on ‘The Pesticides Man- the levy of a higher and differential agriculture, and to provide healthcare
agement Bill 2020’ to the Lok Sabha customs duty structure for imports assistance to farmers and their families.

140 Chemical Weekly January 16, 2024

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