Control pesticide use and check adulteration of spice: Panel

New Delhi, Dec 24 (UNI) Concerned over the country's sluggish spice trade, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce has suggested a slew of measures to help India recapture its prime position in the international market by controlling indiscriminate pesticide use and checking adulteration.

In its report on the ''Functioning of the Spices Board'', the panel has underlined the need to lay emphasis on intensive cultivation and improved practices of sowing, harvesting, grading and packaging on a par ''with international practices''.

To meet stringent environmental and health safety standards while exporting to developed nations which after result in rejection or ban of exporting items, it noted that indiscriminate use of pesticides had affected crop output besides creating environmental imbalance.

''The Government should ensure that indiscriminate use of chemicals, particularly the spurious chemicals, in the garb of pesticide application is controlled. Institutional arrangements should be made for free testing of produce for presence of pesticides,'' the members said and suggested slapping of strict penalties on suppliers of the spurious variety which would act as an effective deterrent.

The panel further asked the Government to curb the practice of adulteration of Indian spices. In this context, it said ''duty structure of the imported spices should be such that the prices of imported spices are not less than the domestic price of Indian spices.'' Regarding the slump in selling prices of several spices, the report suggested that these should be brought under the negative list whereby all such imports would require licence from the DGFT.

Foremost among its proposals were setting up of an umbrella Spices Development Authority and making it a focus area in the next Plan.

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