As a high-powered government panel reviews the use of “Paraquat Dichloride” and “Carbosulfan”, two widely used plant-protection chemicals, owing to complaints of toxicity and adverse impacts on human health, a section of the industry is saying that any abrupt restrictions on these can have counterproductive consequences.
It can encourage the circulation of illegal or counterfeit products, increase unauthorised trade channels, and create burdens on additional enforcement.
Restricting two major plant-protection chemicals ahead of the kharif season may compel farmers to shift to costlier alternatives or use multiple applications, thereby increasing their cultivation costs.
The plant protection industry is expected to present its argument to the government panel on Monday.
The industry’s position is that instead of a ban, the focus should be on improving safety standards and educating farmers to mitigate risks, allowing them to continue benefiting from its advantages while minimising potential harm.
According to industry sources, Paraquat Dichloride is a non-selective herbicide registered for controlling weeds and grasses in agricultural and non-agricultural areas, playing an important role in modern weed-management systems globally and in India.
Paraquat Dichloride is used in tea, coffee, cotton, paddy, sugarcane, maize, rubber, grapes, wheat, and other plantation crops.
Its market is around ₹1,500 crore.
It is a contact herbicide that rapidly desiccates weeds by damaging plant cell membranes within hours of application.
According to 2023-24 trade records, the technical material used for making ‘Paraquat’ is imported in bulk consignments weighing 17,000-35,000 kg per shipment from countries such as Taiwan, China, and the United Kingdom.
Based on commonly adopted field recommendations, a single bulk consignment of ‘Paraquat’ may support weed-management operations across 21,000-44,000 acres.
Major companies having Paraquat formulations include Dhanuka Agritech, Rallis India, Crystal Crop Protection, Willowood Crop Science, and Krishi Rasayan Exports.
The industry also argues that the herbicide can be used as a pre-plant or pre-emergence treatment, post-emergence herbicide, harvest aid, desiccant, and post-harvest desiccant.
Due to its toxicity profile, ‘Paraquat’ is classified as a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP), therefore, no products are registered for homeowner or residential use.
Industry sources contend that most severe poisoning cases involving ‘Paraquat’ result from intentional ingestion rather than regulated agricultural use.
“Although no specific antidote exists, this is not unique, as several agrochemicals rely mainly on preventive handling and supportive treatment,” a senior industry official explained.
He added that earlier evaluations by the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization did not establish regulated dietary exposure as a confirmed risk factor in Parkinson’s disease associated with Paraquat, and the chemical is also not banned under the Rotterdam Convention.
Carbosulfan is effective against pests and has a role in supporting affordable crop protection for farmers.
At a time when India faces increasing pest pressure, resistance development, and a shrinking crop-protection portfolio, any restriction on its use will raise scientific, agronomic, and economic concerns.
In India, carbosulfan is commercially available in formulations such as Carbosulfan (25 per cent EC or Emulsifiable Concentrate) and seed-treatment formulations, which are extensively used in cultivating rice and cotton.
Its recommended dosage generally is in the range 400-800 ml per acre, depending on the crop, pest incidence, and formulation type, making it an effective and economical pest-management option for farmers, the industry said.
It has been found effective against gall midge, stem borer, leaf folder, white backed plant hopper (WBPH), brown plant hopper (BPH), and green leaf hopper (GLH) pests in rice; aphids and thrips in cotton; sucking pests in cumin and chilli; and shoot and fruit borer in brinjal.
Industry estimates suggest the domestic market value, across technical and formulation sales, of Carbosulfan-based products in India is ₹450-600 crore annually.
Insecticides themselves account for 41-55 per cent of the crop-protection market.
Industry estimates suggest that 30-50 companies are directly or indirectly associated with Carbosulfan manufacturing, formulation, repacking, distribution, and marketing.
NOTE: Shaded portion is banned for exports only Source: Trade and Industry players
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