India’s food regulator looks to train tea planters to help reduce pesticide levels
Tea planters in the country are being sensitized and trained to reduce pesticide levels in tea, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in a statement after conducting such a workshop in Coonoor district of Tamil Nadu.
A session was held on Friday to ensure safe and hygienic production of tea and strengthen awareness on the basics of integrated pest management and good agricultural practices for tea, the food standards watchdog said. “It was supported by the Tea Board and Confederation of Indian Industry Food and Agriculture Centre of Excellence,” it said.
There have been reports in the past when both international and domestic buyers rejected consignments due to excessive presence of pesticides and chemicals. The food regulator has been working on a plan to rectify this and training tea growers is a part of it.
The training included information on maximum residue levels for pesticides and measures to keep the harmful chemical within that range.
“Wide ranging discussions were held which included insights into FSSAI notifications on Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for pesticides, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a recommended time gap between pesticide spraying and tea leaf plucking. During the session, the Small Tea Growers were sensitized about the significance of safe use of pesticides adhering to the FSSAI norms on MRLs,” the statement said.
Last year, the national food regulator had issued directions under section 16(5) of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, regarding operationalisation of limits of pesticide use in tea. It focused on five pesticide that are being used by tea growers in the country, such as Emamectin Benzoate (MRL= 0.06 mg/kg), Fenpyroximate (MRL= 6.0 mg/ kg), Hexaconazole (MRL= 5 mg/ kg), Propiconazole (6.0 mg/kg), and Quinalphos (MRL= 0.7 mg/ kg).
“Based on representation received and considering the fact that five pesticides are widely used for crop protection in tea plantations and that the MRL of these pesticides have been revised upwards on the basis of data…, it has been decided to operationalise the MRL for tea with immediate effect,” the regulator said in a notification issued last year. Based on manufacturing processes, tea can be broadly classified into three categories: black, oolong and green. Due to the environmental and climatic conditions in which tea is cultivated, plantations are prone to pests. The tea plant is attacked by at least 1,000 species of phytophagous insects and mites, scientific studies have shown.
To manage this problem, planters have been resorting to use of high volumes of pesticides that cause the presence of higher than prescribed limits of pesticide residue in tea. Pesticides are harmful for human health and are known to cause allergies, aggravated asthma symptoms, and certain types of cancer.
To improve the quality of tea and increasing its safe and hygienic production, the food regulator along with industry partners plans to take forward a comprehensive capacity building initiative in various clusters across tea growing areas in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal.
India is the second largest tea producer (producing nearly 900,000 tonnes a year), with 20% of global tea produced in Darjeeling, the Nilgiris and Assam. Tea is the world’s second highest consumed beverage with the highest consumption in China, India, Turkey and Pakistan.