India Urged To Fight Hunger With Crop Protection
6 May 2008 The Agrochemicals Policy Group (APG), a body of 200 crop protection companies, says that India is still a victim of poor yields due to farmers’ underuse of crop protection products. The story, originally published in the Hindu Business Line, notes that India’s average pesticide use is approximately 480 grams per hectare (Ha), which is far lower than the US, EU, Japan, and Taiwan. APG said that as little as 25% of India’s fields are adequately protected from pests.
With the World Bank saying that food prices have doubled during the last three years and threatening to push 100 million people in lower-income countries further into poverty, APG said that now is the time to improve yields.
S. Kumarasamy, Chairman of APG, said crop loss in India was caused by only a fourth of the total cropped area of 180 million Ha being treated with crop protection chemicals. He added that there is an urgent need to improve farm output, and that farmers could be assured of a five-fold return on the money spent on pesticides.
However, Dr. K.S.R.K. Murthy, President of the Plant Protection Association of India, said pesticide use can be advocated only when the proper agricultural practices were followed. Taiwan, Japan and other countries follow such practices.
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