Fifty Fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the Industry Meet of Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) was held on 22nd December 2023 in Mumbai.
PMFAI’s Industry Meet was well attended by distinguished members from Agrochemicals, Biological and allied products Industries. The proceedings of the Industry Meet commenced with Welcome Address by PMFAI President Mr. Pradip Dave giving detailed account of PMFAI efforts to safeguard the interests of Indian Pesticides Industry.
While addressing the audience from industry and other stakeholders, Mr. Pradip Dave informed that the year 2203 witnessed bad situation for Agrochemical industry due to low monsoon rains in many parts of the country and El Nino weather pattern, affecting agriculture production and agri inputs industries. The domestic business is badly impacted by the deficit and erratic monsoons. Exports also declined and the industry is struggling hard to bring back the situation to normal.
Mr. Pradip Dave, President-PMFAI welcoming the audience to the Industry Meet on the occasion of 55th AGM of PMFAI
In the AGM, Mr. Pradip Dave and PMFAI Secretary Dr. Samir Dave and Treasurer Mr. Ketan Mehta briefed members about PMFAI efforts during the year 20222-23 key of which included–
PMFAI efforts beginning from the year 2011 for policy decision for ″mandatory registration of Technical Grade Pesticides in India″ prior to granting registrations for Pesticides Formulations for imports or indigenous manufacture. PMFAI efforts finally met results by approval of policy decision taken by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC) in December 2022. Mr Pradip Dave said the policy decision will help registration of more number of Technical Grade products in India for indigenous manufacture, which ultimately will lead to increase the product portfolio of Indian companies, particularly MSMEs and increase in exports from India.
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, the major concern left out in the report was provisions in the Bill for harsh punishments and penalties proposed under Offences and Punishments″ on which PMFAI has made submission to Government for relaxations to minimum levels. PMFAI also appealed Government for de-criminalization of minor non-compliances in the sector for ″Ease of Doing business″.
Earlier in the year 2020, Government had made proposal for banning of 27 pesticides which included many popular products used in India and in countries all over the world. Objections and suggestions by PMFAI and joint efforts with other stakeholders finally led to the ban restricted to four products viz. Dinocap, Dicofol, Methomyl and Monocrotophos 36 SL formulation.
Considering PMFAI’s continuous dialogue with various Ministries of Government 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.
Mr. Pradip Dave said, PMFAI now expect Government to levy higher and differential customs duty structure for Imports of Technicals and Formulations in the forthcoming budget.
PMFAI with the support from Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare strongly opposed proposal made by European Union for listing popular herbicide ″CHLORPYRIFOS″ in Annexure-A of Stockholm Convention of POPs. Strong defense by PMFAI led to POPRC Review Committee seeking further Annexure-D information on socio economic considerations from member countries and for review in 2024.
Stringent and unreasonable Environmental standards proposed to enforce by Ministry of Environment and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), has been major concern for Agrochemical industry. India already has a robust regulatory framework for effluent discharge norms, particularly for Pesticide industry especially when compared with other developed regimes like US-EPA. PMFAI is in continuous interaction with CPCB and Ministry of Environment to revise the standards to achievable limits.
Recent Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Bills proposing new laws for Agri Inputs industries unfairly propose to introduce laws to criminalise Agri Inputs industries by amending Central Acts for inclusion of prosecution and imprisonment terms, as the new proposed law propose 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 jointly working with other industry associations has appealed for withdrawal of the Bills and harsh laws proposed under the Bills.
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.
Distinguished audience present in the Industry Meet
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.
Mr. Pradip Dave also reminded all industry members about 19th edition of ″International Crop Science Conference & Exhibition (ICSCE 2024)″ organised by PMFAI in Dubai on 8th & 9th February 2024 at JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, Dubai, which is one of the major global event for Agrochemicals, Bological products and allied products industry. Last ICSCE 2023 Dubai witnessed excellent participation of over 1300 delegates from across the globe.