The Pesticide Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) is crying foul over the European Union’s push to list Endosulfan as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) which is against the interest of the Indian farmers. The move has triggered reactions from the farming community because of EU forcing to launch newer patented, expensive products in the Indian market as opposed to the existing less expensive Endosulfan.
?If the Persistent Organic Pollutant Review Committee (POPRC) move to list Endosulfan as a POP at the Stockholm Convention is accepted, it would be against interests of Indian farmers and farmers in the developing world,? said R Hariharan, chairman, International Stewardship Centre Inc (ISC).
The global crop protection industry is worth $40 billion and the top three companies alone account for over 50% of this market. All three of them are European and it is not surprising that the European Commission works in the best interest of its industry. ?There is a strong motivation for the European multinationals to replace widely used, generic and low priced pesticides with their high priced patented alternatives,? Pradip Dave, president, PMFAI, said.
Dave said in case of a ban on Endosulfan, Indian farmers would be forced to purchase patented European pesticides at very high prices.