The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has proposed amendments to the Insecticides Rules, 1971, aiming to provide relief to farmers using bio-pesticides. This notification was published on January 3, 2025.
The draft rule are published for public comment. They propose a reduction in testing fees for bio-pesticide samples submitted by farmers. These proposed amendments fall under the Insecticides (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2024.
Key Points of the draft notification:
The fee for testing/ analyzing bio-pesticide samples submitted by farmers to ascertain quality would be specified in a revised Second Schedule. This fee is expected to be lower than the existing charges for conventional insecticide testing.
The draft rules propose a fee of Rs. 200 per sample of bio-pesticides where the active ingredient is known.
The Central Government may also consider exempting specific state governments from these fees for a reasonable period due to genuine difficulties.
Public Feedback and Implementation Timeline
The public has to submit objections or suggestions regarding the proposed amendments by February 2, 2025.
Feedback can be sent to the Joint Secretary (Plant Protection), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi-110 001 or through email at muktanand.ias08@nic.in
The amendments are expected to come into effect upon final publication in the gazette.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is seeking public feedback on the proposed amendments. After considering all comments received within the stipulated timeframe, the government will finalize the rules and implement them.
