Lok Sabha Question No. 4403 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-23
Subject: Use of Bio-Pesticides
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Anurag Sharma, C.N. Annadurai, Vijay Kumar Dubey, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Rebati Tripura, Gautham Sigamani Pon, Dhanush M Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 4403

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 rd  March, 2021

## USE OF BIO- PESTICIDES

4403.  SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:

SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI:

SHRI VIJAY KUMAR DUBEY:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI REBATI TRIPURA:

SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMANI PON:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR:

Will the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the market share of bio-pesticide in the pesticide market of the country;
- (b) the  total  number  of  Farmers  Field  Schools  organized  to  sensitize  farmers  on  biopesticides as an alternative to chemical pesticides;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  formulate  a  concrete  policy  to  enhance Research and Development activities in bio-pesticides sector and if so the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  is  also  engaged  in research for developing bio-control agents as pesticides and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has taken any steps for the awareness of this bio-control agents to farmers and if so, the manner in which the bio-control agents are likely to benefit the farmers; and
- (f) the other steps taken by the Government to formulate a concrete policy to promote the  use of bio -pesticides in agriculture so as to enhance the production of toxic/chemical free agri products in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a): State  Governments  and  Union  Territories  report  data  related  to  consumption  of pesticides and bio-pesticides to Central Government. As per the data provided by States, the trend of consumption of chemical pesticides has varied from year to year and State to State; however, during the same period, the use of bio-pesticides is showing increasing

trend.  Consumption  of  bio-pesticides  which  was  8.5  percent  of  the  total  pesticide consumption during 2013-14, has increased to 12.5 per cent during 2019-20.

(b): Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers Welfare  is  implementing  the  Sub-Mission  on Plant  Protection  with  a  mandate  to  popularize  adoption  of  Integrated  Pest  Management (IPM) through training and demonstration in crops, inter-alia promotion of biological control approaches  in  crop  protection  technology  and  through  Farmer  Field  Schools  and  HRD programs. During last 5 years, 2016-17 to 2020-21 (upto February, 2021), 3205 farmers field school have been organized in the different states of India through Central Integrated Pest  Management  Centres;  wherein  112175  farmers  have  been  trained  on  latest  IPM technologies.  Further,  a  total  989  farmer  field  schools  have  been  organized  by  Indian Council of Agricultural Research- National Centre for Integrated Pest Management during 2019-2021.  During  2019-20  and  2020-21,  a  total  of  33757  and  45364  Farmer  Field Schools  have  been  conducted  respectively  by  different  State  Governments/  Union Territories  viz.  Himachal  Pradesh,  Uttarakhand,  Haryana,  Punjab,  Rajasthan,  Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala,  Andhra  Pradesh, Telangana,  Tamilnadu, Chhattisgarh,  West  Bengal,  Maharashtra,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Assam,  Tripura,  Goa  and Jammu and Kashmir.

(c) & (d): Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has  reported  that  different Institutes of ICAR are engaged in Research & Development as well as promotion of biocontrol agents as an integral component of Integrated Pest Management  (IPM) technology. Several potential bio-control agents have been identified and some of them have  been  commercialized.  Further,  98  species/strains  of  parasitoids,  23  strains  of Entomopathogenic  nematodes  and  17  predator  species  are  being  multiplied  at  ICAR institutes which are effective different stages of insect pests.

(e): Different Institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Central Integrated Pest  Management Centers conduct workshops, group meetings, trainings, various  HRD programs and activities to promote the use of bio-control agents, bio-pesticides among the farming community. Bio-control agents are mass multiplied in laboratories and released in farmer fields, which reduce the pest infestation and thus avoid crop loss. Farmers are also trained on farm production of Biocontrol agents, Entomo-pathogens and antagonistic fungi & bacteria on their own to reduce the dependency on chemical pesticides.

Further, farmers are made aware about conservation of natural enemies by Central Integrated Pest Management Centers and mass multiplied bio-control agents are released in farmer fields for holistic management of pest & diseases.

(f): The  Government  is  promoting  the  use  of  bio-pesticides  by  implementing  SubMission  on  Plant  Protection  with  a  mandate  to  popularize  adoption  of  Integrated  Pest Management in crop protection technology. Bio-pesticides registration has been facilitated with simplified guidelines. Further, a protocol for mass multiplication of bio-control agents at farm level has also been developed in consultation with ICAR and has been circulated to States.

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