Major listed agrochemical companies have urged the government to include the provision of Protection of Regulatory Data (PRD) in the draft Pesticides Management Bill.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, August 19, Crystal Crop, Rallis, Dhanuka, PI Industries, Godrej Agrovet have requested the government to protect regulatory data. These companies seek five-year protection for new crop protection molecules.
PRD is a framework aims to incentivise introduction of newer, safer chemistry by giving agrochemical companies the rights over the test and safety data, which is submitted to regulatory authorities to get approval for new molecules.
According to these agrochemical firms, India currently does not offer such data protection, which discourages new launches.
The draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 has been prepared by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare of Ministry of Agriculture to replace the present Insecticides Act, 1968 and the Insecticides Rules, 1971. The bill aims to incorporate provisions to bring transparency and traceability to provide better services to farmers, thereby promoting ease of living, the Agriculture Ministry said in a release on January 7, 2026.
The bill includes technology and digital methods to streamline processes, along with stricter control over spurious pesticides through higher penalties. Provisions have also been made for compounding of offences, with more penalties, which will be defined by State-level authorities. Further, amendments have been introduced to strengthen administrative control and management of pesticides, seeking to bring a balance between ease of life and ease of doing business, the Ministry said. This bill also provides for mandatory accreditation of testing laboratories, ensuring that only quality pesticides is available to farmers.
ALSO READ: Brexit's Farm Flexibilities: A Lesson For The Global South
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
