Punjab govt for ban on 10 agro-chemicals

CHANDIGARH : The agriculture department, Punjab, has proposed to ban 10 compounds of agro-chemicals (pesticides, insecticides, and weedicides) farmers normally spray over premium aromatic basmati paddy so as to avoid rejection in the international market.

Punjab’s basmati has acceptability in foreign countries, including North America, Europe and the Middle East, for its special aroma and long grain. The state contributes to almost 40% of India’s ₹ 40,000 crore basmati exports.

However, owing to the rejection of some consignments in the past years due to traces of agro-chemical which includes tricyclazole and carbendazim, the state department, farmers and exporters are wary of its excessive usage.

Apart from the two compounds, other agro-chemicals placed on the ban list are acephate, buprofezin, chlorpyrifos, methamidophos, propiconazole, thiamethoxam, profenofos and isoprothiolane. “We have made a case and sent it to the government for a ban,” said a senior officer of the agriculture directorate.

As per the Centre’s Insecticide Act, 1968, a state government can impose a ban for 60 days which is automatically revoked after that and a permanent ban is the prerogative of the Centre’s ministry of fertiliser. “In case of need, we may extend the ban for 60 more days,” added the officer.

The sowing of basmati is expected to begin in late June and early July (to be harvested in October-November) and the state department and the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, are expected to issue an advisory over the usage of alternative compounds to fight unwanted weeds, pests and insects attacking the crop.

According to Ashok Sethi, director, basmati exporters association, the ban on agro-chemicals would also help farmers save at least ₹ 300 crore. “If we take corrective steps, it makes a good impact on the importers as they become more acceptable to our produce and offer better prices,” he added.

Due to the ongoing RussiaUkraine war, the basmati prices are expected to shoot up in the coming season.

Last season (2021), it was sold between ₹ 3,000 and 4,000 per quintal and before that in 2020, due to the price crash, it was sold at the MSP offered on the coarse variety paddy given in the PDS.

The state agriculture directorate has set a target of 6 lakh hectares under basmati cultivation against last season’s area of 4.85 lakh hectares.

Paddy in the state is sown over 30 lakh hectares (at least 74 lakh acres).