Lok Sabha Question No. 2471 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-10
Subject: Sample Testing of Pesticides, Seeds, and Fertilizers in the Country
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Praveen Khandelwal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2471

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## SAMPLE TESTING OF PESTICIDES, SEEDS AND FERTILIZERS IN THE COUNTRY

## 2471.  SHRI PRAVEEN KHANDELWAL :

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:-

(a)  the standard procedure followed for sample testing of pesticides, seeds, and fertilizers in the country; (b)    the  details  of  the  agencies  responsible  for  conducting  such  tests  and  ensuring compliance with safety standards; (c)    the  details  of  the  frequency  of  testing  and  any  recent  findings  related  to  substandard products; and (d)  the measures taken to strengthen the quality control mechanisms for these products to

- safeguard the health of farmers and consumers?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a)  to  (d): The  Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare  (DA&FW)  implements  the various provisions of Insecticides Act 1968, Seeds Act 1966 and the Fertilizer Control Order 1985 (FCO) to ensure the supply of quality Pesticides, Seeds, and Fertilizers to the farmers in  the  country.  Further,  standards  prescribed  by  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  (BIS)  and Registered  Product  Specification  (RPS)  of  the  Central  Insecticides  Board  &  Registration Committee (CIB&RC) for testing of Pesticides, Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards for  testing  of  Seeds  and  provisions  of  FCO  for  testing  of  fertilizers  are  used  in  the laboratories established for sample testing.

So  far,  total  73  pesticide  testing  laboratories,  175  seed  testing  laboratories  and  84 fertilizer testing laboratories are established by central and state government in the country to carry  out  quality  check  of  pesticides,  seeds,  and  fertilizers  samples  in  compliance  with standards, and appropriate actions are being taken by the enforcement agencies as per the provisions of  the  Act  in  case  sample  fails  quality  tests.  The  inspectors  draw  samples  from manufacturing unit  and sale  points within their jurisdiction at regular intervals for  testing of samples quality. During the year 2023-24, a total of 80,789 pesticide samples and 188,236 fertilizer samples were analyzed. Out of these, 2,222 pesticide samples and 8,988 fertilizer samples were found to be substandard which is 2.7% and 4.7% of total samples respectively and appropriate legal action has been initiated against the defaulters. Further,  DA&FW  allows  the  manufacture  and  use  of  pesticides  in  the  country  only after analyzing the efficacy and safety of the pesticides to prevent risk to human beings or animals or environment and prescribes the details of doses, crops, precautionary measures, antidotes etc on  Label and  Leaflets of  pesticides.  The  registered  pesticides if  used  as  per Label and Leaflets do not pose any harm to human beings, animals, environment and living organisms other than pests. Also, the Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI) portal has been launched to strengthen the quality control mechanism of seeds by ensuring traceability  of seeds in the production and distribution chain. Further, Central and State  governments regularly  impart  training  to  the  enforcement  authorities  and  analysts  of laboratories to strengthen the quality control mechanisms.

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