GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2471
TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2024
SAMPLE TESTING OF PESTICIDES, SEEDS AND FERTILIZERS IN THE COUNTRY
2471. SHRI PRAVEEN KHANDELWAL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS be pleased to state:-
(a) the standard procedure followed for sample testing of pesticides, seeds, and fertilizers in the country;
(b) the details of the agencies responsible for conducting such tests and ensuring compliance with safety standards;
(c) the details of the frequency of testing and any recent findings related to substandard products; and
(d) the measures taken to strengthen the quality control mechanisms for these products to safeguard the health of farmers and consumers?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
(SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (d): The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) implements the various provisions of Insecticides Act 1968, Seeds Act 1966 and the Fertilizer Control Order 1985 (FCO) to ensure the supply of quality Pesticides, Seeds, and Fertilizers to the farmers in the country. Further, standards prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Registered Product Specification (RPS) of the Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC) for testing of Pesticides, Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards for testing of Seeds and provisions of FCO for testing of fertilizers are used in the laboratories established for sample testing.
So far, total 73 pesticide testing laboratories, 175 seed testing laboratories and 84 fertilizer testing laboratories are established by central and state government in the country to carry out quality check of pesticides, seeds, and fertilizers samples in compliance with standards, and appropriate actions are being taken by the enforcement agencies as per the provisions of the Act in case sample fails quality tests. The inspectors draw samples from manufacturing unit and sale points within their jurisdiction at regular intervals for testing of samples quality. During the year 2023-24, a total of 80,789 pesticide samples and 188,236fertilizer samples were analyzed. Out of these, 2,222 pesticide samples and 8,988 fertilizer samples were found to be substandard which is 2.7% and 4.7% of total samples respectively and appropriate legal action has been initiated against the defaulters. Further, DA&FW allows the manufacture and use of pesticides in the country only after analyzing the efficacy and safety of the pesticides to prevent risk to human beings or animals or environment and prescribes the details of doses, crops, precautionary measures, antidotes etc on Label and Leaflets of pesticides. The registered pesticides if used as perLabel and Leaflets do not pose any harm to human beings, animals, and environment and living organisms other than pests. Also, the Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI) portal has been launched to strengthen the quality control mechanism of seeds by ensuring traceability of seeds in the production and distribution chain. Further, Central and State governments regularly impart training to the enforcement authorities and analysts of laboratories to strengthen the quality control mechanisms.