An industry body of pesticide manufacturers has urged the Union Agriculture Secretary to bring in targeted changes in the draft Pesticides Management Bill to ensure farmers get faster access to effective crop protection technologies.
This comes even as Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in Lucknow on Friday that the Union government will bring an amended Seeds and Pesticide Management Bill in the upcoming session of Parliament.
Call for data protection framework
CropLife India, the industrial body of pesticide and crop protection chemicals manufacturers, called for inclusion of a time-bound Protection of Regulatory Data (PRD) framework for new molecules and new uses. In its recommendations to the Ministry, the body said the current draft does not address the policy gap contributing to this innovation lag.
“When farmers remain dependent on older chemistries for too long, resistance builds faster, spray intensity rises, and it becomes harder to meet tightening residue expectations in domestic and export markets,” a statement by CropLife India said.
Why newer technologies are delayed
The association noted that bringing a new molecule or new use to India requires major investment in safety, efficacy, residue and environmental data. “Without a clear framework governing how that data is used, there is limited incentive to introduce newer technologies early in the Indian market.”
CropLife India has therefore proposed a limited, time-bound PRD framework of about five years from first registration. This would create a more predictable pathway for newer solutions to reach farmers faster, while allowing competition through independent data generation.
Export pressures mounting
The statement added that stricter residue norms in markets such as the European Union are already pressuring Indian exports. “Industry bodies in Assam have flagged that nearly 40 million kilograms of premium tea exports to Europe and the UK are exposed to tighter residue requirements,” they said.
This is a significant concern. If Indian agricultural products fail to meet international residue standards, exports could be severely impacted. Newer, lower-dose crop protection technologies would help meet those standards – but they are not reaching Indian farmers quickly enough.
Industry leader speaks
Ankur Aggarwal, chairman of CropLife India, said farmers today are dealing with more erratic pest pressures in the field. “The final law must keep regulation science-based and time-bound, act firmly against illegal trade, and create a credible pathway for newer, safer and more effective crop protection technologies to reach farmers faster,” he said.
The bigger picture
The draft Pesticides Management Bill is intended to replace the older Insecticides Act, 1968. The government wants to modernize pesticide regulation while ensuring safety for farmers, consumers, and the environment.
The industry’s concern is that without a data protection framework, companies will have little incentive to invest in bringing newer, safer molecules to India. They argue that this hurts farmers (who remain stuck with older, less effective products) and exports (which fail to meet global residue standards).
As the Bill heads to Parliament, the debate between faster innovation and tighter regulation is likely to intensify.
