India Toughens Stance Against below standard Farm Inputs

India’s Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a press conference in Lucknow on April 24 said that the Government of India is preparing to bring stricter provisions in the Seeds Act and the Pesticide Act so that strict action can be taken against those who cheat farmers by selling fake agriculture inputs to them. He said that the existing legal framework is not strict enough to deal with fake seeds and pesticides and in most cases only minor fines are imposed which fail to discourage the offenders.

Addressing the media Chouhan said that future agricultural development can no longer be driven through uniform policy measures. He said planning should take place according to the regional requirements, climatic conditions, water availability and the local crop condition. According to him India has been divided into five regions, with separate regional agriculture conferences being organized to develop region-based strategies. The Lucknow conference is the second phase of that process.

He said that the government of India has schemes for agricultural development, scientific institutions and academic capacity but agriculture remains a state subject and because of this successful implementation depends on cooperation with state governments. He said the central and the state governments together are preparing a roadmap for the rabi and kharif seasons.

The Union Minister said that the discussions are no longer limited to seasonal crop planning. The agenda of the conference also includes agricultural diversification, profitability, self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds and processing opportunities. He said that India has made significant progress in wheat and paddy output but self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds remains a priority.