Latest news with #ControlOrder
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Government to crack down on unapproved biostimulants' sale
NEW DELHI: Raising questions over sale of certain biostimulants whose efficacy is not proven by proper data, Union agriculture minister Tuesday pulled up officials and asked whether his ministry and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) are truly serving the interests of farmers or merely helping private companies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now His strong remarks came during a review meeting on the unregulated sale of biostimulants, where he said government will not allow the sale of such products without scientific approval, with strict action being taken against unauthorised manufacturers. Biostimulants are applied to seeds, plants or soil by farmers to stimulate natural plant growth, though use of many such formulations (substances or microorganisms, such as beneficial bacteria, fungi, and plant extracts) is not backed by verified field trial data under the existing regulatory mechanism. Government currently regulates biostimulants through the amended Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) Control Order, 1985. Questioning the efficacy, regulation, and oversight of biostimulants being sold to farmers in many states, Chouhan directed that such products must undergo scientific evaluation by ICAR to assess their utility and said only those products will be approved that pass all parameters of efficacy. Asking officials to prepare a standard of procedure (SOP) for strict regulations, he said, "Permission will now be given only after scientific approval and the entire responsibility for this will lie on the officials. " The minister's directives came in response to several complaints that he received during his ground visits to many states during a fortnight-long campaign - 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' - in May-June. "After hearing the grievances of innocent farmers, I cannot sit idle. As the agriculture minister, it is my duty to act," he said.
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Business Standard
01-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Govt to put gur, khandsari under Control Order regulation, help farmers
The Central government has decided to notify draft amendments to the Sugar Control Order of 1966, said its Food Secretary on Thursday, seeking to streamline regulations and prod gur and khandsari units to pay farmers fairly. The amendments will enable the government to bring around 66 large gur and khandsari (unrefined raw sugar) units within the Control Order. The units have a sugarcane crushing capacity of at least 500 TCD (tonnes crushed per day) and are largely located in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The step will ensure payment of fair and remunerative prices to cane farmers and help in accurate estimation of sugar production. Around 31 per cent of India' annual sugarcane production of 435 million tonnes is consumed by the gur, khandsari and jaggery units. "This revision aims to simplify and streamline the regulatory framework governing the sugar sector in line with current industry dynamics and technological advancements," said Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Thursday. It will ensure cane farmers receive fair and remunerative prices from khandsari factories on the basis of improved accuracy in sugar production estimates, he said. According to Ashwani Srivastava, Joint Secretary in the Food Ministry, India has 373 khandsari units with a total capacity of about 95,000 TCD. "Out of these, 66 units have a capacity of more than 500 TCD. They will now be regulated under the order," Srivastava said, adding that these units will need to register on the digital National Single Window System (NSWS). The units will have two months to register on NSWS. Various byproducts, like cane bagasse, molasses, press mud cake and ethanol, have been included in the control order. The amended order incorporates definitions from the Food Safety Standard Authority of India for various sugar products and includes clauses related to sugar price regulation, previously part of a separate order. Sugar exports Mills might end up exporting 0.8 million tonnes of sugar — one million tonnes is allocated for 2025-26 season — due to low demand. The balance 0.2 million tonnes will be ploughed back into the country. India has so far exported 0.3 million tonnes of sugar this year.
