Close after the appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to farmers for adopting ‘natural farming’ and cabinet decision to include the topic in syllabus of agriculture universities, the Centre has proposed to increase the registration fee for chemical pesticides manifold — from ₹5,000 to ₹4,50,000 — which even the agrochemical industry has supported.

In a draft public notice issued earlier this month, the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) has sought comments of stakeholders by February 2 to the proposed increase.

Proposed revision

According to the notice, a group of officers of CIB&RC have prepared the revised registration fee structure for pesticides under various categories, keeping in view their “complexity, level, nature of application, level of disposal of the application and to promote the quality Bio-pesticides.” The Agriculture Ministry has asked the CIB&RC to seek comments of stakeholders before implementing the changes.

The proposed revision includes increasing registration fees to ₹4,50,000 from the current ₹5,000 for Technical Import (New Molecule, New Source), Formulation Import (New Molecule, Registered Molecule with New Formulation), Technical Indigenous Manufacturing, Formulation Indigenous Manufacturing and Technical Import.

However, for registration of bio-pesticides, the fees have been doubled to ₹10,000.

According to industry estimate, the turnover of agrochemicals market is likely to reach ₹80,000 crore by 2026 from the current ₹50,000 crore.

CropLife India supports the principle behind the hike of registration fee as a tool to weed out non-serious and bogus applicants, who even indulge into corrupt and illegal practices, said the industry body’s CEO. But the fee hike should be done with certain caveats like linking with milestones and time bound implementation of long-pending reforms and major overhaul of CIB&RC, he said. However, in some cases like import permits, endorsement, the hike should be rationalised.

Asitava Sen also said that government should improve infrastructure, strengthen manpower and look at possible outsourcing of data evaluation to streamline the registration process and reduce timeline.

However, a top executive of a leading manufacturer said this proposed hike is unfair as the government has provided to control prices of pesticides in the draft Bill. He said the government should provide a free market regime rather than trying to curb use of chemical pesticides through such measures.

Impetus to natural farming

In its 36th Report on The Pesticide Management Bill, 2020, the Standing Committee of Parliament has agreed with the government’s view on price control provision in the legislation. The Agriculture Ministry, though, has clarified that it is not necessary that there will be price regulation on all pesticides. The government wants to reserve the right to make a reasonable price regulation through an authority, the ministry said.

“For the emerging possibilities of futures, we have to work today. At this landmark moment, India is well-positioned to provide the world a solution to the issues of food security in a better balance with the nature,” Modi had said in virtual address at the National Conclave on Natural Farming held in Anand on December 16.

Close after this, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) decided to include ‘natural farming’ in the syllabus at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. “Education division of ICAR shall develop syllabus in consultation with Agricultural Universities and Natural Farming Experts for inclusion in UG/PG courses,” ICAR’s assistant director general SP Kimothi said in a letter addressed to all directors of ICAR institutes and Vice-Chancellors of agriculture universities on December 22.

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