Pesticides

The Standing Committee on Agriculture (Chair: Hukmdev Narayan Yadav) submitted a report on ‘Impact of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country’ on August 11, 2016.

• The Standing Committee on Agriculture (Chair: Hukmdev Narayan Yadav) submitted a report on ‘Impact of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country’ on August 11, 2016.  Key observations and recommendations of the Committee include:

• Consumption of fertilizers:  The Committee observed that the consumption of chemical fertilizers in the country has been increasing along with the level of agricultural production.  Agricultural production increased from 83 million tonnes in the 1960s to 252 million tonnes in 2014-15.  Use of chemical fertilizers (such as those containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) increased from one million tonnes to 25.6 million tonnes in the same period. 

• The country would have to produce 300 million tonnes of food grains by 2025 in order to provide for its population.  The Committee noted that 45 million tonne of fertilizers would be required to meet this target.  Of this, 6-7 million tonnes may be met from organic fertilizers, but the rest would be met by chemical fertilizers.  It recommended that a comprehensive study should be undertaken to measure the impact of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on soil fertility and general health.  

• Availability of fertilizers:  While the consumption of chemical fertilizers in the country has increased from 17.4 million tonnes in 2001-02 to 25.5 million tonnes in 2012-13, the domestic availability has only increased from 14.5 million tonnes to 16.1 million tonnes.  This indicates that there has been an increase in the import of fertilizers.

Warm Regards,

Jessie| Journal of Bioremediation & Biodegradation