Agrichemical body ACFI seeks ease of doing business for quality manufacturers

The Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI) on Friday urged the government to address various concerns of the industry on the Pesticides Management Bill, 2020, and sought ease of doing business for good manufacturers producing quality product. Addressing the 4th Annual General Meeting, ACFI outgoing president N K Aggarwal urged the government to extend support for the uncomplicated registration process and bring modification in the Pesticide Management bill. He spoke about the shortcomings of the Pesticide Management Bill (PMB), 2020, which was introduced in Rajya Sabha on March 23, 2020 and later it was referred to the Standing Committee on June 3, 2021.

Aggarwal said the industry supports strict provisions against bad players operating in the market but there should be ease of doing business for quality manufacturers. He expressed concern over fake and spurious products available in the market.

Stating that the PMB Bill does not specify a time limit for registration, ACFI demanded that the registration must be granted within one year of application. ''PMB 2020 does not talk about the serious problems of the grants of thousands of ghost registrations and hundreds of licences, increasing complaints against pesticides quality by farmers, poor quality control enforcement,'' ACFI said in a statement.

The Bill doesn't address the issue of bringing newer and better molecules in India.

''The PMB 2020 suggests that higher punishments alone will ensure quality products.

''Whereas, it should ensure that only responsible persons with the ability to adequately invest in both safety and efficacy are allowed to obtain registrations and get manufacturing licenses so that the farmers will get only the genuine products,'' the association said.

Both under the existing Act and proposed Bill, no qualifications are required to obtain a registration, which makes obtaining a manufacturing licence from the state very simple, it added.

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