While such is the nature of future growth potential for pesticides, the Indian pesticides industry finds itself constrained under the current situation of low domestic consumption levels which are attributable, partly to the large number of small farm-holdings and the vastly dispersed markets leading to high distribution and inventory costs, besides the lack of adequate bank credit because of which the burden of servicing the trade credits devolves on the industry itself. On the other hand, there is still the general lack of awareness among farmers and the community about the benefits of using pesticides as also about their balanced dosage and application techniques.

For the past few years, as the result of the globalisation and opening up of the Indian markets, on one hand it has also been facing competition in the domestic market from the overseas suppliers, particularly like China, and on theother hand losing out its established market in the crisis ridden south-east Asian countries.

Again, in order to keep pace with the developments the world over, the Indian pesticides industry cannot escape the high costs of research and development which are inevitable in order to match high product quality and safety expectations. At the same time the industry cannot ensure compliance with stringent environmental standards together with due cognisance of concern voiced from time to time by the NGOs over the ecological degradation.

The Indian scientific community, which has played a commendable role so far, will have to reinvigorate itself with more intense inter-disciplinary interaction and orient its research and development efforts towards the changing scenario. Alongside, scope will have to be explored for combination of synthetics with remedies based on natural sources, keeping in view the need to overcome the pest resistance or immunity, as also ecological damage.

In this process, the syntheticchemistry will need to be fine-tuned to develop benign and novel molecules to take place alongside the existing range of chemical pesticides. Above all, in the pursuit of all such need-based research activity, it will be equally important for the scientists and the private and publicly-funded R&D institutions to fully grasp the nitty-gritty of the new patents and IPR regime and learn to protect the new knowledge and products that are developed with indigenous research efforts, against piracy and infringement.

The place of pesticides within the overall vision for agriculture for the country, and for the rest of the world, would call into play the right kind of knowledge and production processes to provide the products that would meet the most stringent expectations on quality, efficacy and environmental cleanliness, together with the appropriate innovations, analytical methods, changes in application techniques and equipment needs and services.

At the same time they will have to remain fully consciousabout the responsive to the concern of the consumers of the crop yields and the processed agro-products, including their changing preferences and trends towards organically-grown foods, plantation crops and herbal remedies.

Taking all these factors into consideration, it should be clear that the activities in relation pesticides will have to be understood and developed with a holistic picture of agriculture and the role of pest management in it. Keeping this in view, ideal solutions, products and technologies and knowledge-needs will have to be defined, developed and directed to fill the identified gaps.

This would call for setting up decentralised and specialised research centers by the private industry or its associations and the publicly-funded institutions to tackle a total/whole problem, challenge or opportunity in a participatory manner rather than through an isolated effort. It should thereby also facilitate optimum utilisation of national, common shared facilities, on commercial lines and pay fortheir activities.

With this strategy and approach to the future vision, it would be worthwhile to enumerate the needs of the pesticides industry. Among its short-term problems are the need to develop product analysis and analytical methods to ascertain and ensure 100 per cent composition, including impurity profile, as well for the residue analysis on crops and foods. Besides, for the registration of products in India and abroad, there is the need to streamline the data generation system to satisfy the stipulations with regard to the efficacy, acute or sub-acute toxicity levels for the workforce, users and consumers, as also impact on the environment.

In order to achieve these, a set of parameters for efficient production technologies will have to be defined, including reduction and management of effluents and wastes. Considering the role of the large number of small enterprise engaged in the pesticides formulations, the strategy will have to also include them as well, to ensure that safer and moreefficacious formulations reach the ultimate users. Lastly, application techniques and appliances should be designed, especially for the new generation products of high potency and low dosage.

The medium-term needs of the industry could include development of molecules such as by extension or modification of the existing range, natural and biological products and derivatives, and entirely new ones which act selectively and are safe, biodegradable or those based on specific active isomers.

As for the scientific institutions, the industry too will have to recognise the importance of patents and IPR literacy, develop competence for patents search, filing applications for and maintaining patents, as well as for patent defence and ways and means to reap revenues from the use of patents.

Thus, the demand for pesticides will continue to grow but volumes will be replaced and successively followed by products requiring minuscule dosages and together with effective application techniques ensuring all-round safety.There will be a gradual transition from predominantly synthetics to less hazardous but more effective combination of synthetics with natural products.

At the same time, they will have to confront the monopoly or dominance of the international players in their clever and smart articulation of the rules of the game, and the host of international treaties and regimes like WTO, IPR, PIC, POP, etc, and even denial or holding back of funds and aid from the regulatory agencies for technological changes.

The author is managing director of Excel Industries Ltd