Illegal pesticide sales may cross Rs 2,000 cr mark this year

Mumbai, Sept 11 (PTI) The domestic crop protection
industry estimates that the sale of illegal pesticides may
cross the Rs 2,000 crore mark this fiscal.
"Growth of the Rs 8,000 crore domestic pesticide market
is being stymied by rampant sale of illegal products. The
industry estimates sale of illegal pesticides may cross Rs
2,000 crore mark in the current financial year," Crop Life
India, an association of technology-driven agri companies,
said in a statement here.
Counterfeit pesticides consist mainly of illegal imports
with questionable potency and impurities and so-called
bio-products laced with chemical insecticides, the release
said.
"Around Rs 1,600 crore worth of illegal pesticides were
sold in the country last fiscal. Of this over, Rs 500 crore
was accounted for by 'bio-products' which as per current norms
need no registration," Crop Life. India CEO & Director PK
Mazumdar said.
Crop Life has already set up an anti-counterfeiting
taskforce aimed at curbing the menace of illegal products. In
response to complaints made by the industry, the Andhra
agriculture department had initiated action against 309 bogus
companies this July.
Crop Life International's anti-counterfeiting director,
D' Arcy Quinn, is advising Crop Life India and the
anti-counterfeiting taskforce, which will work especially
closely with Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, as
these states together account for 65 per cent of the
counterfeit pesticides sold in the country. '
The Indian Insecticides Act of 1968 restricts the sale of
only 875 products as pesticides. However, a new act, Pesticide
Management Bill, 2010, is awaiting Parliamentary approval.