Lok Sabha Question No. 3745 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-16
Subject: Supply of Spurious Pesticides/ Weedicides/Fertilizers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Unmesh Bhaiyyasaheb Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3745

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 16 TH   JULY, 2019

## SUPPLY  OF  SPURIOUS  PESTICIDES/ WEEDICIDES/FERTILIZERS

## 3745.     SHRI UNMESH BHAYYASAHEB  PATIL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of complaints received from various States alleging  supply  of  spurious  pesticides/ weedicides/fertilizers by some companies adversely  affecting  the  agricultural production and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the number of samples of various pesticides, weedicides and fertilizers tested and found  to  be  sub-standard  during  the last three years and the current year;
- (c) the  action  taken  by  the Government against such companies;
- (d) whether there  is any mechanism with the Government to monitor the sale of sub-standard/  spurious    pesticides/  weedicides/fertilizers  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (e) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  provide  quality  fertilizers,  pesticides and weedicides  to  the  farmers  at  reasonable prices?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a): The  Directorate  of  Plant  Protection,  Quarantine  and  Storage  (DPPQ&S) receives  complaints  regarding  manufacturing  and  selling  of  spurious  pesticides (including  weedicides)  from  the  farmers/consumers  and  other  stakeholders  of various States. The details of such complaints received during the last three years is at Annexure-I.

No  complaints  of  supply  of  spurious  fertilizers  have  been  received  by  the Government.

(b) & (c): The  number  of  samples  of  various  pesticides  (including  weedicides) tested and found to be misbranded by the Central Insecticide and State Insecticide Inspectors  during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  along  with  the  action taken  is  at  Annexure  II.  The  year  wise  details  of  number  of  samples  of  fertilizers analysed and declared non-standard during the last three years and the current year along with the action taken is at Annexure III.

(d) & (e): To check the sale of misbranded pesticides and to monitor the quality of  pesticides,  the  Central  Government  has  enacted  the  Insecticides  Act,  1968.  As per  the  Insecticides  Act,  1968,  the  monitoring  of  quality  of  pesticides  is  a  shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments. Central Government and State Governments have notified 138 and 10905 Insecticides Inspectors respectively to  check  sale  of  misbranded  pesticides.  Insecticide  samples  are  drawn  on  regular basis and analyzed in 69 State Pesticides Testing Laboratories (SPTLs) and at the two Regional Pesticides Testing Laboratories at Chandigarh and Kanpur. Action is initiated  under  the  provisions  of  the  Insecticides  Act,  1968  against  those  samples which are found misbranded. The Insecticides Act 1968 does not have provision for determination of pesticides prices.

The Government of India has declared the fertilizer as  essential commodity under  the  Essential  Commodities  Act,  1955  and  has  promulgated  the  Fertilizer (Control)  Order  1985,  to  regulate  the  trade,  price,  quality  and  distribution  of fertilizers. Under Clause 19 of FCO, no person shall sale, offer for sale, manufacture, import or distribute any fertilizers which are not of prescribed standard. Any violation of  the  provision  of  Fertilizer  (Control)  Order  1985,  invokes  both  administrative  and penal  action  under  the  Essential  Commodities  Act.  Further,  there  are  86  fertilizer testing laboratories in the country. Samples of fertilizers are periodically drawn and tested in these laboratories to check their quality. The Government of India has fixed the MRP of Urea under FCO and it is not permissible to sell the same beyond the statutory  price.  The  Phosphorus  (P)  and  Potassium  (K)  fertilizers  are  not  under statutory  price,  but  the  Government  of  India  is  granting  subsidy  and  ensure  the reasonability of the prices.

Annexure-1 Details of complaints related to supply of spurious pesticides received from various States during the last 03 years are as under: -

| S.No.   | Name of the State   | No. of complaint received   | Subject matter                                                             | Action taken by Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage (DPPQ&S)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|---------|---------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2018-19 | 2018-19             | 2018-19                     | 2018-19                                                                    | 2018-19                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 1.      | Maharashtra         | 02                          | 1. Selling of sub- standard and spurious pesticides by the dealer in Akola | Central Insecticide Inspector drew 04 samples from the premises. 03 samples have been found to be satisfactory and 01 found misbranded. Show-Cause notice has been issued to the dealer and manufacturer.                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|         |                     |                             | 2. Selling of sub- standard Bio- pesticides without registration by a firm | Team of Central Insecticide inspectors inspected the firm, samples were drawn by the team, 01 sample found satisfactory and report of the another sample is awaited. Stop sale order were issued to the firm for selling unregistered pesticides. The report of the team was also forwarded to the State Department for taking further necessary action as per the Insecticides Act., 1968 and Rules framed thereunder |
| 2.      | Gujarat             | 01                          | Selling of sub- standard pesticides by a firm                              | Direction was given to state Govt. to check the veracity of the complaint. Samples drawn by Insecticide Inspectors of the State have been found to be satisfactory.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 3.      | U.P.                | 01                          | Selling of spurious weedicides in the state                                | State Govt. was directed to give report on the same and it was found in the investigation that the claim of the complainant was not appropriate.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 4.      | Haryana             | 01                          | Selling of fake pesticides by a dealer in Palwal                           | Team of Central Insecticide Inspectors drew few samples of pesticides, which were found to be satisfactory after testing in the laboratory.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |

| 2017-18   | 2017-18          | 2017-18   | 2017-18                                                                         | 2017-18                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|-----------|------------------|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Himachal Pradesh | 01        | Selling of spurious pesticide by state Govt Outlet                              | The reports of the samples drawn from the stock, from which the pesticide was sold to the complainant was provided by the State Govt. and the testing report of the pesticide were found to be satisfactory.             |
| 2.        | Maharashtra      | 01        | Selling and manufacturing of sub-standard Bio- pesticides by a firm in Yavatmal | Samples of Bio-pesticides were drawn by the team of Insecticide Inspectors of the Central Govt. 02 samples of Bio-pesticides were found to be misbranded and accordingly prosecution initiated against the manufacturer. |
| 2016-17   | 2016-17          | 2016-17   | 2016-17                                                                         | 2016-17                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 1         | Maharashtra      | 01        | Selling and manufacturing of Bio-pesticides without registration                | Prosecution is being launched.                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 2.        | Gujarat          | 01        | Selling and manufacturing of sub-standard weedicide by a firm                   | Complaint was found to be incorrect, as the complainant himself used the pesticides without going through label and leaflet and used the weedicide on non- recommended crop.                                             |

Annexure-II

Details of the samples analyzed by the State and Central Insecticide Inspectors in the last three years and current year

| Year                     |   Number of Samples analysed |   Number of Samples found Misbranded |   Prosecution Launched |
|--------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------------|------------------------|
| 2016-17                  |                        64101 |                                 1476 |                    589 |
| 2017-18                  |                        65541 |                                 1594 |                    876 |
| 2018-19                  |                        67251 |                                 1642 |                    569 |
| 2019-20 (till July 2019) |                         6970 |                                  135 |                      1 |

Annexure-III Details of year wise number of samples of fertilizers analysed and declared non-standard during the last three years and the current year

| Year                     | Number of Samples analysed   |   % of samples declared non- standard |   Administrative Action |   Prosecution launched |
|--------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|
| 2016-17                  | 137080                       |                                   5.3 |                    2452 |                     52 |
| 2017-18                  | 138602                       |                                   5.1 |                    2212 |                    839 |
| 2018-19                  | 107624 *                     |                                   5.1 |                    3453 |                    521 |
| 2019-20 (till June 2019) | 15145                        |                                   1.7 |                     146 |                     43 |

*  The  information  received  from  the  States  of  Telangana,  Gujarat,  Tamil  Nadu,  UP,  Maharashtra, Karnataka,  Punjab,  Haryana,  J&K,  Chhattisgarh,  Uttarakhand,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Himachal  Pradesh  & Pondicherry including the sample analysed by the GOI laboratories.

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