CCFI wants to reduce imports of agrochemicals in the country

The Crop Care Federation of India has written a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar expressing concern over the huge increase in the import of agricultural chemicals in the country.

New Delhi: The Crop Care Federation of India has written a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar expressing concern over the huge increase in the import of agricultural chemicals in the country.

In the last two years (2019-2020 and 2020-2021), the import of agrochemicals has increased from Rs 9096 crores to Rs 12418 crores while the export of agrochemicals has registered a lower rate of increase. The export of agrochemicals has increased from Rs 23757 crore to Rs 26513 crore in two years. In this way, imports have increased at the rate of 37% while exports have increased at the rate of only 12%.

ETV Bharat spoke to Harish Mehta, Senior Advisor, Crop Care Federation of India, who described it as a disappointment for the Indian agrochemicals industry. Harish Mehta said that the Indian industry is capable of meeting the demand for the country's agricultural chemicals. The CCFI comprises the country's 50 leading agrochemical companies, which today export to 130 countries. 95% of the total agricultural chemicals from the country are produced by companies associated with the Crop Care Federation of India.

Harish Mehta further added, today, the import of agricultural chemicals is increasing rapidly in the country, due to which not only the trade deficit will increase but the country will also suffer the loss of foreign exchange. The Crop Care Federation of India has demanded that the customs duty on the import of agricultural chemicals should be increased to 30%.

Harish Mehta said that he is confident that Indian agriculture is capable of making itself self-sufficient and that the industries running in the country can supply the demand by increasing their production capacity. In such a situation, when companies in India have the capability to meet the total demand for agricultural chemicals in the country, then they should be encouraged.

Despite the Covid-19 epidemic, the Indian chemical industry has done business worth about Rs 55000 crores with about 26000 crores in domestic sales and 29000 crores from exports. China accounts for the largest share of imports of agricultural chemicals in the country. The government needs to control the growing imports. It has been suggested by CCFI for many years that the import duty on agricultural chemicals should be increased from 10% to 30%.

Traders and multinational companies earn higher profits due to high-profit margins on the imported agrochemicals. When the government is talking about doubling the income of the farmers, they should see that the farmers are buying imported agricultural chemicals at expensive prices.