KHETI BARI

The unjustified call for Endosulfan BAN.

The reality behind ongoing much hue&cry demanding Endosulfan Ban is entirely distracting. As far as indiscriminate use of pesticides in the plantation areas of Kasargod is concerned, ENDOSULFAN is not the sole culprit for all the reported deformities in the new borns because there are many other harmful pesticides used in the region.

ENDOSULFAN is safest agro-chemical in agricultural use in INDIA but today its almost become the business/ bread&butter for NGOs and persons like Vandana Shiva, Sunita Narain, KB Chaudhary and even for short term political ambitions of Netas like VS Achutha....

Do personally visit the affected area, as claimed by these monstrous and anti-Science NGOs and verify the facts at the place of report as now-a-days Media is too irresoponsible and runs in trust deficit, publishes much unscientific reports and surveys w/o any verification and doubt clearing from technical institutions/ org/ experts.

Today, it's MNC pesticide giants which r lobbying fr its ill-effect and pushing fr the BAN, as India is the largest manufacturer of generic endosulfan and it is harming their business.

Horrying amount of money has been pushed by the NGOs to influence the policy decision, mis-interpret the perception and mis-represent the reality.

More than a dozen committees within 8 years have concluded that there is no linkage between Endosulfan and the reports of health problems and cleared the Endosulfan but blamegame is still on. Only flaws observed in the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) study which was released in 2002 and adopted by NGOs for propaganda against the generic pesticide.

MNCs are interested in promoting their patented products as the much sought for International ban by the ongoing UN's Stockholm Conention would create a market for their products. But these patented products is more than 10 times costlier and Indian farmers can least afford the same.

There is no doubt, strong business interests which wouldn't mind if farmers are forced to replace endosulfan, which is an affordable and generic insecticide, with costlier proprietary molecules. It is purely case of patented-versus-generic pesticides.

Major facts about Endosulfan: § India is the world’s No. 1 producer, exporter and consumer of endosulfan § India supplies 28 million litres (70%) of the total global endosulfan market of 40 million litres § The 28 million litres include 12 million litres for domestic market (worth Rs 270 crores) and 16 million litres of exports (worth Rs 180 crores) § Major Endosulfan manufacturers include Excel Crop Care, Coromandal International and Hindustan Insecticides Ltd.

Let regulatory agency and GoI conscience be clear of not favouring the move to ban the pesticide in lack of any strong evidence and review done by several committees, declaring Endosulfan as safe for both human beings and ecology.