'Better pest management needed to increase foodgrain production'

Mumbai, May 1 (UNI) India has a market share of Rs 4,000 crore in the USD 27 billion global pesticide market and is the second largest producer of pesticides in Asia, after China.

Insecticides India Ltd (IIL) Managing Director Rajesh Aggarwal told UNI here today ''China still continues to scale unbeatable heights in pesticide production but is unlikely to affect Indian markets on account of the difference in products.'' He is quite optimistic about India's rising prospects in the agrochemical and pesticide market.

With the demand for foodgrains, projected at over 350 million tonnes (MT) by year 2040 from an average of 210 MT presently, India will have to upgrade its pesticide production to support the set targets. India has an exposure of less than two per cent pesticides against global margins, he said.

Aggarwal said ''With organic farming found to be non-viable to satisfy domestic needs, I see lesser options for the country except to impart fair amount of education and training to the farmer.'' In a report tabled in parliament in December 2002, the standing committee on petroleum and chemicals had estimated an annual loss of Rs 90,000 crore per annum due to the pest attack on crops, he said.

According to sources, the average pesticide usage in the country stands at 480 gm per hectare as compared to Taiwan (17,000 gm), Japan (10,700 gm), the US (4,500 gm) and Europe (3,000 gm), which has explicitly claimed a negative impact on production.

With the country's population projected to overtake that of China in few years, the availibility of necessary quantity of foodgrains is a must to cater mass needs, he added.

UNI