Lok Sabha Question No. 807 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-07
Subject: Excessive use of Fertilizers and Pesticides
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Rajesh Verma, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Ajay Nishad, Rahul Kaswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 807

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 07 TH  FEBRUARY, 2023

## EXCESSIVE USE OF FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES

807. SHRI RAMSHIROMANI VERMA:

SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides by the farmers;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has taken any steps to train farmers to prevent it and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  the  availability  of  safe pesticides and reduce its risk on humans, animals and the environment;
- (d) whether  the  excessive  use  of  chemical  fertilizers  and  pesticides  are  causing  serious disease and if so, whether the Government has made any concrete plan to conduct study in this regard;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to promote the use of bio-fertilizers/organic fertilizers keeping in view of the adverse effects of the above on human health and agricultural production, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government proposes to set-up sales counters for organic fertilizers on the lines of sales counters established for chemical fertilizers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री

( SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR )

(a) to (d):     Agricultural productivity plays critical role in ensuring the level of food security, which in turn, requires fertilizer as one of the vital input.   Balance and judicious use of fertilizer as per recommended doses does not have any adverse effect on the health of humans.   It is the Government endeavour to promote judicious use of chemical fertilizers, bio-fertilizers and locally available organic manures.  To achieve this objective, Government is implementing Soil

Health Card Scheme of National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility to provide soil  test  based  fertilizer  use  recommendations  to  farmers.  Government  has  an  effective monitoring mechanism through network of soil testing labs including Government and private entrepreneurs.  Soil health card provides the information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendation on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.    Soil Health Card recommendations is one of the important criteria for assessment of fertilisers for Kharif and Rabi Seasons.

Demonstrations  about  balanced  use  of  fertilisers  based  on  soil  health  card recommendations and training to the farmers on proper and integrated use of fertilisers are integral part of the scheme. Financial assistance is provided to the State Governments for training of farmers, demonstration on farmer fields and organizing farmer melas.

Since 2015, around 6.45 lakh demonstrations, 93781 farmers trainings and 7425 farmers  melas  are  organized/conducted  under  the  programme.    Alongwith  State/District agriculture  machinery  and  panchayats,  village  level  rural  development  workers  like  Krishi Sakhis, Pasu Sakhis are involved in educating farmers on the right use of fertilisers.  ICAR also imparts training, organizes from line demonstrations to educate farmers on this aspect. Farmers are also being encouraged to use technology i.e drones etc. in fertilizer application in order to ensure optimal use of fertilizer.

Pesticides play an important role in sustaining agricultural production by protecting crops from pests and disease.  Availability of safe and efficacious pesticides and their judicious use by the farming community is critical to long term sustainability of agricultural production and productivity.   The Registration Committee while granting registration as per the provisions of  the  Insecticide  Act,  1968,  conducts  a  complete  evaluation  of  pesticide  on  parameters, studies and data with respect to chemistry, bio-efficacy, toxicity, packaging and processing and accordingly approves the details of doses, crops, precautionary measures, antidotes etc on Lable and leaflets for each pesticide for tis safe use. However, pesticides are inherently toxic and need a well ordered system of management and regulation.  In India the Insecticides/ Pesticides are regulated under the provisions of Insecticides Act, 1968 and Insecticides Rules, 1971.  At present, 11080 officers of various State Government and 191 Central Government officers  are  notified  as  Insecticide  Inspector  to  check  the  quality  of  pesticides  and  its management.    Surprise visits are not conducted at fields of farmers as the Act exempts the use of any insecticide for own household purposes or for kitchen garden or in respect of any land under his cultivation.

There are 26  Central  Integrated  Pest  Management  Centers  (CIPMCs)  under Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine & Storage which conduct surveys in the farmers fields and organise various training programmes (Farmers Field Schools (FFS), 2 Day & 5 Day Human Resource Development Programmes and Seed treatment campaigns) to make the farmers aware about safe and judicious use of pesticides.   Farmers are also encouraged to use various ecologically sustainable pest management approaches rather than relying only on chemical  pesticides.    Use  of  bio-pesticides  and  bio-control  agents  as  on  alternatives  to chemical pesticides in plant pest management is also being promoted.

(e):     For development of sustainable agriculture Government has been promoting organic farming  in  the  country  since  2015-16  through  the  schemes  of  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas Yojana  (PKVY)  and  Mission  Organic  Value  Chain  Development  for  North  Eastern  Region (MOVCDNER).  Both  the  schemes  promote  use  of  biofertilizers  and  organic  fertilizers  for adoption of organic farming and end to end support to farmers engaged in organic farming i.e. from  production  to  processing,  certification  and  marketing  and  post-harvest  management support including processing. PKVY is being implemented in all the States other-than North Eastern (NE) States, across the country. MOVCDNER scheme is implemented exclusively in the NE States. Under PKVY, farmers are provided financial assistance of Rs.50000/ha for 3 years out of which, Rs.31000/ ha / 3 years is provided as incentives directly to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for on-farm and off-farm organic inputs including bio-fertilizers and organic fertilizers. Whereas, under MOVCDNER, an assistance of Rs.46575/ha for 3years is provided for creation of FPO, support to farmers for organic inputs, quality seeds/ planting material and training, hand holding and certification, out of which Rs.32500/ ha for 3years is provided  as  incentives  to  farmers  for  off-farm  and  on-farm  organic  inputs  including  biofertilizers and organic fertilizers.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research has developed improved technology to prepare various  types  of  organic  manures  such  as  phosphocompost,  vermicompost,  bio-enriched compost, municipal solid waste compost, etc. from various organic wastes. The Council has developed improved and efficient strains of biofertilizers specific to different crops and soil types under the Network project on Soil Biodiversity-Biofertilizers. Liquid Biofertilizer technology with higher shelf-life  has  also  been  developed. The ICAR also imparts training, organises front-line demonstrations to educate farmers on all these aspects.

(f):      Government of India has recently directed to all Fertilizers Companies to set up 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendra's (PMKSK). PMKSK will sell all kinds of Quality Fertilizers such as Nitrogenous/ phosphatic/ potassic fertilizers, secondary and micro-nutrients, water soluble fertilizers, Alternative, Bio and Organic. It has also been advised to achieve a share of 20% alternative fertilizer in total sale of fertilizers through PMKSK.

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