In an aggressive initiative to combat the sale of counterfeit and low-quality pesticides, government has revoked the licenses of over 7,000 pesticide producers after implementing stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines through the Central Insecticides Board (CIB).
Out of almost 10,000 companies initially registered, only 2,584 met the KYC standards. Authorities have informed states that products from these deregistered companies should not be sold, as their licenses have been automatically withdraw.
The compliant companies are expected to aid in controlling the unnecessary use of pesticides. Additionally, the government is set to introduce the Indian Pesticides Management System (IPMS) portal to improve the monitoring of pesticide sales and distribution. Despite these measures, there are ongoing concerns about the easy availability of dangerous pesticides and the insufficient guidance provided to farmers regarding integrated pest management techniques.
As reported by KNN, industry experts have praised the verification process for eliminating dishonest entities involved in producing illegal, inferior, or fake pesticides. They have also recommended that similar measures be adopted for the regulation of fertilizers and bio-stimulants.
