CropLife India organized a workshop on ‘Crop Grouping Principles for the Establishment of National MRLs’. The lack of label claims for spices, fruits, leafy vegetables, and similar crops leaves farmers with few pest management options and exposes them to the risk of international trade rejection due to off-label agrochemical use and the absence of national MRLs.
The workshop urged the government of India to address off-label agrochemical use by implementing a crop grouping scheme. Currently, over 85% of the 554 crops grown in India lack crop protection product (CPP) label claims due to their limited acreage or commercial value, leading to off-label use.
Adopting Crop Grouping Principles, which align with globally accepted norms, is essential. Countries like the USA, EU, Japan, and Australia have long implemented these principles, yielding significant benefits for their farmers. As reported by krishakjagat.org, the crop protection industry has advocated for this change for some time, after engaging in extensive deliberations with technical experts.
