Food for thought

As reported recently by this newspaper, India’s cumin exports have suffered a setback in recent months, with China claiming that pesticide residues exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) spelt out by it about six months back. Chinese authorities have said that consignments must be accompanied by a pesticide residue report. India has been through all this with respect to its exports of shrimp, rice, chillies, okra, mangoes and groundnuts to developed markets such as the EU and US. India’s poor farmers could feel compelled to use excessive pesticides in their anxiety to protect their crop; but it is also a fact that MRL curbs are often arbitrary and deployed as non-tariff barriers by the EU and US (a major horticulture exporter) in particular. Hence, MRLs are revised downward to unreasonably low levels, below globally accepted ‘Codex’ standards. It is doubly unfair that India’s recent rise in fresh fruit imports, amounting to over ₹15,000 crore annually is, by all accounts, not subject to such scrutiny. FSSAI standards must be brought to bear on such consignments, and be revised if necessary. India should challenge inconsistencies in standards across countries. The EU and US have questioned India’s certification processes merely to push their business interests in this field. FSSAI’s capacity to regulate must be enhanced. India’s spices exports amount to over ₹25,000 crore, while fresh vegetables and processed fruits and juices amount to another ₹10,000 crore.

In 2018, the Centre banned 18 of the 100 or so globally banned pesticides allegedly in use in India. It should objectively review the use of these controversial and truly dangerous pesticides and weedicides, while recognising that yields and post-harvest losses too need to be protected. The proposed new law on pesticides management, under which a central authority will authorise the marketing of pesticides and ideally review clearances periodically, must be implemented in right earnest. It is also ironic that some of the biggest pesticides producers are EU-based, and the bans announced by the EU do not seem to impact sales in developing countries. The lack of institutional capacity to implement integrated pesticide management (IPM) needs to be addressed. In the case of spices and commodities, the respective boards should take up the task of certifying consignments. The creation of ‘one district one product’ to promote unique farm produce such as Jalgaon bananas and Ratnagiri Alphonso mangoes must be accompanied by extension services on MRL norms as well as testing facilities. Ensuring traceability of inputs is important for global markets. This is easier done when the produce is routed through cooperatives, FPOs or contract farming systems.

India has done well to win back credibility in global markets with respect to grapes and shrimp exports. In both cases, the right processes were put in place. Gherkins export has not run into such problems. India’s export potential in horticulture is considerable, as it is the world’s second largest producer of fruit and vegetables but has no more than a 2 per cent share in global horticulture exports. In dealing with global norms and trade pressures, it should not overlook the interests of its producers and consumers.

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