PMFAI Holds 56th Annual Meeting in Mumbai
The 56th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the Industry Meet of the Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) was held on 21st November 2024 in Mumbai. PMFAI’s Industry Meet was well attended by distinguished members from the agrochemicals, biologicals, and allied products industries.
The industry members paid homage to Padma Bhushan Dr. K. H. Gharda, Founder & CMD of Gharda Chemicals Ltd., by observing one minute’s silence. Dr. Gharda is remembered for his outstanding contributions, not only for the development and progress of Indian Chemicals & Agrochemical industry, but also for his great contributions supporting poor and downtrodden and upliftment of society. He passed away on 30th September 2024.
The proceedings of the Industry Meet commenced with a Welcome Address by PMFAI President Mr. Pradip Dave, giving detailed account of PMFAI activities during last year. In his address, Mr. Pradip Dave mentioned the significant role played by PMFAI over 56 years in contributing to the development and progress of Indian agriculture, Indian agrochemical industry, and the Indian farming community. Mr. Dave observed that over five decades, we witnessed India emerging from food deficit nation to food surplus economy, self-sufficient in most of the food crops which demonstrates the stellar role of agriculture in food security of our nation.
India’s food grain production reached a record 332 million tons in 2023-24 and is the world’s 2nd largest producers of fruits and vegetables, rice, wheat, groundnut, cashew and tea globally. The growth achieved due to judicious use of agri inputs like fertilizers, pesticides and seeds, which also helped achieving nation’s agriculture exports reaching US$ 55 billion and becoming eighth largest exporters in the world. While India is the fourth largest producers of agrochemicals in the world, in the year 2022-23 the country has become second largest exporters of agrochemicals with exports worth Rs. 44,000 crores plus to global markets, due to high quality of products supplied.
Shri Sunil Borkar, Director of Agriculture, Maharashtra State, who was Special Guest in the Industry Meet, addressed the gathering. During his address while referring to the poisoning issues faced by farmers in Maharashtra in the year 2017, Mr. Borkar expressed satisfaction on the work done by the industry by undertaking training and education of farmers on safe and effective use of crop protection products, which lead to control poisoning cases. The Department of Agriculture, Maharashtra, assigned different districts to leading companies to impart training and education of farmers in Maharashtra, which is now a continuous activity.
Shri Sunil Borkar mentioned lack of knowledge among farmers in using correct crop protection products and the need for recommendation of use of crop protection products specific to control pests and diseases. Mr. Borkar suggested creating social media app that can help identify pests and diseases and suggest crop protection solutions. Mr. Borkar gave suggestions to the industry to counter sub-standard products while the Department is also trying to create a system. With regards to label claim, Mr. Borkar suggested that if one formulation received a label claim, the same be made applicable to the same formulation manufactured by others, which the industry should take up with regulatory authorities. He also advised all leading companies to create training pest control operators.
In the Industry Meet, Dr. Mohana Krishna Reddy Mudiam, Director, Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology – IPFT (an Institute under Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Govt. of India), made a presentation. In his address, Dr. Reddy briefed the gathering on “New Generation of Agrochemical Formulations and Role of IPFT in the Development and Evaluation of Advanced Formulations”. Dr. Reddy shared a detailed account of services offered by IPFT.
In the AGM, Mr. Pradip Dave (President), Mr. Deepak Shah (Vice President); Mr. Ketan Mehta (Treasurer) and Dr. Smit Patel (Joint Secretary) briefed members about PMFAI efforts during the year 2023-24:
- The Pesticide Management Bill 2020 (PMB 2020): PMB 2020 is to replace Insecticides Act, 1968 to govern regulations concerning Agrochemicals. Though the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture has submitted its reports on “The Pesticides Management Bill 2020” to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in December 2021, presentation of Bill in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha still remains. It was observed that in spite of Parliamentary Standing Committee recommendation not to consider provisions for Regulatory Data Protection for Agrochemicals, a section from industry still lobbying for Data Protection. PMFAI has put forward its strong opposition against any provision for Regulatory Data Protection and extension of Patent terms.
- EU proposal for listing of Chlorpyrifos in Annexure-A of Stockholm Convention of POPs: The European Union made proposal for listing Chlorpyrifos in Annexure-A of Stockholm Convention for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). PMFAI with the support from Govt. of India (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and other Ministries) put up strong opposition in Convention’s POP Review Committee meetings. Though EU along with NGOs and other supporting countries were dictating the terms, in view of PMFAI’s strong defense, Convention’s POP Review committee though recommended listing Chlorpyrifos in Annex-A, but with “Specific Exemptions” which will allow use of the product at least for another 5 years. The gathering applauded the efforts of Government and PMFAI.
- Stringent emission and effluent discharge standards prescribed for Pesticide Industries. Stringent and unreasonable Environmental standards proposed to enforce by authorities has been major concern for Agrochemical industry. India already has a robust regulatory framework for effluent discharge norms / emission standards, particularly for Pesticide industry especially when compared with other developed regimes like US-EPA. PMFAI made detailed proposals to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change for relaxations in emission and effluent discharge standards for the Pesticide industry in line with Pharma industries considering the similarity in processing, operations and equipment used for manufacturing etc, which is under consideration. PMFAI is in continuous interaction with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change to revise the standards to achievable limits. In this regard, meeting with CPCB Peer & Core Committee will be held shortly.
- Separate HS Code Classification for Technical Grade Pesticides and Formulation products: PMFAI was in continuous dialogue on the subject with Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers; Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Department of Revenue to properly control and regulate imports. Government considered the suggestion for separate HS code classification of Technical Grade Pesticides and Formulation products. In India, all products of Agrochemicals / Pesticides both Technical Grade Products and Formulations has been classified under Customs Tariff Head 3808 and majority of the products (almost 95%) falls under “Others” category which has been badly impacting indigenous manufacturing sector. PMFAI submissions resulted in Ministry of C&F taking steps in that direction and recently circulated a list of 273 products for creation of HS codes for Technical Grade pesticides under chapter 29 and asked comments from industry associations. With the suggestions from industry, 324 Technical Grade Pesticides are now under consideration for classification under Chapter 29. Industry was also asked to send comments for creation of HS codes for Formulations under Chapter 3808, which has also been submitted.
- Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Bills proposing new laws for Agri Inputs industries to introduce laws to criminalize Agri Inputs business by amending Central Insecticides Act: State Government of Maharashtra proposed Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Bills in September 2023 proposing new laws for Agri Inputs industries unfairly proposing to introduce laws to criminalise Agri Inputs industries by amending Central Acts for inclusion of prosecution and imprisonment terms. The new law proposed for “cognizable and nonbailable” provisions and making provisions to compensate farmers for crop failures and losses caused by adulterated, non-standard or misbranded seeds, fertilizers and insecticides. PMFAI along with other like minded associations made strong opposition against the Bills and also made joint submission appealing withdrawal of the Bills and harsh laws proposed under the Bills. The State Government has not taken any further steps on the proposed Bills.
In the AGM, participants were also briefed on PMFAI activities and efforts on various other fronts like – (1) Regulations; (2) Training and Educational Activities; and (3) Farmers Training and distribution of safety kits to Farmers.
PMFAI efforts related to CSR and other social causes
PMFAI Annual Meet also highlighted PMFAI’s continuous efforts to contribute to the social causes by providing financial assistance for education by way of scholarship to children of Farmers pursuing graduation and post-graduation courses in Agriculture and equivalent studies and to provide health care assistance to Farmers and farmers’ family.
As part of its CSR activities, PMFAI continued its financial assistance by way Scholarship for Farmers children pursuing B.Sc & M.Sc in Agri or equivalent studies where the girl children and Handicapped children given preference. 80 students were given the scholarship. PMFAI spent Rs.15 lakhs on education assistance (scholarship) to Farmers children and under privileged children.
Provided medical assistance to the tune of Rs.20 lakhs to Farmers, under privileged and poor persons associated with pesticide manufacturing units.
Another Rs.29 lakhs was given as assistance for school building for under privileged children of Adivasi farmers built under Rotary Club of Bombay at rural village Ranshet (Maharashtra state) and contribution was made to like-minded association for defending frivolous patents.
PMFAI Members and the industry representatives present in the Industry Meet appreciated PMFAI efforts in the best interests of Indian Agriculture; Farming community and Indian Agrochemical industry.
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