Lok Sabha Question No. 2542 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-05
Subject: Production of Paraquat
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti, Shri Mohibbullah, Shri Bastipati Nagaraju, Shri B K Parthasarathi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2542

TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## PRODUCTION OF PARAQUAT

2542.  SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI: SHRI BASTIPATI NAGARAJU: SHRI B K PARTHASARATHI: SHRI MOHIBBULLAH:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:-

- (a) the details of the annual production of Paraquat and the number of manufacturing units, classified, State-wise especially in AP;
- (b)  the details of Paraquat usage in the country over the last five years, year and State-wise, especially in AP;
- (c)    the  details  of  the  list  of  crops  approved  for  usage  of  Paraquat by  the  Government  in  a State-wise, especially in AP;
- (d)    the  details  of  the  total  sales  of  Paraquat  in  the  last  five  years,  year  and  company-wise (private and public);
- (e)    whether  the Government has reviewed the safety, environmental and health impacts of Paraquat use, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (f)      the  amount  and  value  of  Paraquat  imports  during  the  last  five  years,  including  source countries, year-wise; and
- (g)    whether  there  is  any  proposal  to  regulate,  restrict  or  ban  Paraquat  due  to  its  reported toxicity and fatalities, if so, the details thereof alongwith regulatory steps or alternatives under consideration?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (g): Registration Committee (RC) constituted under section 5 of the Insecticides Act, 1968  registers    pesticides  for  use  in  the  country  after  ensuring  the  efficacy  and  safety  to prevent risk to human beings or animals and for matters connected therewith. Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) periodically reviews the continued use of pesticides either on the basis of report received from the State Governments, suo moto or reports about the  pesticides  that  are  banned  or  restricted  in  other  countries  due  to  toxic  concerns  or potential harm to human health or the environment.

Further,  Registration  Committee  (RC)  in  its  361st  RC  meeting  held  on  22.12.2015, deliberated the recommendations of Dr. Anupam Verma Committee to review 66 pesticides including  Paraquat  Dichloride  which  are  currently  banned/restricted/  withdrawn  in  other countries,  and  accepted  its  continued  use  with  caution,  improved  packaging  to  prevent misuse,  and  training  for  medical  personnel  to  handle  poisoning  cases.  Further,  a  subcommittee has been constituted on the directions of Government of India to review the safety, efficacy and toxicity of Paraquat dichloride.

At  present,  License  for  manufacturing  of  Paraquat  is  issued  to  1503  manufacturing units in the country and out of which 35 are situated in State of Andhra Pradesh. The details of manufacturing units in the State of Andhra Pradesh are enclosed at Annexure-I. The details of  Paraquat  usage  in  the  country  during  2019-20  to  2023-24  in  the  country  is  enclosed  at Annexure-II, the details of Crops approved for usage of Paraquat is enclosed at Annexure-III and  imports  of  Paraquat  from  2019-20  to  2023-24  are  placed  at Annexure-IV. However, details of annual production and sales of Paraquat are not maintained at the Ministry level.

## The Details  of manufacturing units of Paraquat  in the state of Andhra Prdesh:

|   S.N. | List of Manufacturing units of Paraquat Dichloride in Andhra Pradesh   |
|--------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      1 | Vasishta Pesticides Pvt Ltd                                            |
|      2 | M/s Snochem India                                                      |
|      3 | Deacons Bio Product Private Limited                                    |
|      4 | M/s APL Agro Chemicals                                                 |
|      5 | M/s Adonis Crop Sciences Private Limited                               |
|      6 | PNR Industries                                                         |
|      7 | N G Fertilizers and Chemicals Pvt Ltd                                  |
|      8 | Omkar Fertilisers Pvt.Ltd.                                             |
|      9 | Avento Agro Chemicals                                                  |
|     10 | Prevents Chem India Private Limited                                    |
|     11 | Star Crop Agrochemicals                                                |
|     12 | Krysta Crop Solutions Private Limited                                  |
|     13 | Elaine Crop Care India Private Limited                                 |
|     14 | SMR Agro Nutrients Private Limited                                     |
|     15 | Asian Crop Care                                                        |
|     16 | Sovereign Agri Industries                                              |
|     17 | M/s. Jhass Agro Industries                                             |
|     18 | Hindustan Agro Insecticides                                            |
|     19 | Exce Fine Chemicals                                                    |
|     20 | Miracle Crop Science                                                   |
|     21 | Hi Tech Pharma                                                         |
|     22 | Gautami Chemicals and Pesticides private Limited                       |
|     23 | Idhyah Agri Crop Sciences Pvt. Limited                                 |
|     24 | Kissan Agri Technology                                                 |
|     25 | M/s Kemicides Crop Protection Company                                  |
|     26 | Devatha Agrofarms LLP                                                  |
|     27 | Bhairav Agri Science Private Limited                                   |
|     28 | Agrovero Crop Science Private Lmited                                   |
|     29 | M/s Vasishta Pesticides Pvt Ltd                                        |
|     30 | M/s Southern Pest Control                                              |
|     31 | M/S S.L Industries                                                     |
|     32 | BHL Rasayan Udyog India Pvt. Limited                                   |
|     33 | Terra Chemicals Co.                                                    |
|     34 | Kissan Bio Formulations                                                |
|     35 | Lotus Biotech                                                          |

## The Details of Paraquat usage in the country during 2019-20 to 2023-24:

| Pesticides                                       |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Paraquat Dichloride (Consumption in metric tons) |    113.18 |     74.49 |    104.97 |     97.69 |    105.06 |

## The Details of the list of crops approved for usage of Paraquat:

|   S. No. | Name of Crops                                       |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Tea                                                 |
|        2 | Potato                                              |
|        3 | Cotton                                              |
|        4 | Rubber                                              |
|        5 | Coffee                                              |
|        6 | Rice                                                |
|        7 | Wheat                                               |
|        8 | Maize                                               |
|        9 | Grapes                                              |
|       10 | Apple                                               |
|       11 | Aquatic Weed Control, Water ways Canals, Ponds Etc. |

The Details of Paraquat imports during 2019-20 to 2023-24:

| Pesticides                                   | Group      |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 | 2023-24       |
|----------------------------------------------|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------------|
| Paraquat Dichloride (Import in Metric Tonne) | Herbicides |      8598 |     14436 |     15272 |     20786 | Not available |

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Annexure-IV