Tomar told agro-chemicals industry that he would talk to FM about cut GST on pesticides

Tomar told agro-chemicals industry that he would talk to FM about cutting GST on pesticides.

Thursday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the agro-chemicals industry that he would talk to the Finance Minister about the industry’s request to cut GST on pesticides from 18% to 5%.

At the ’11th Agrochemicals Conference 2022,’ which was put on by FICCI, the Minister talked about how important it was to grow different kinds of crops and told farmers to grow more horticulture and expensive crops. When asked about the industry’s request to lower GST on pesticides, Mr. Tomar said that this issue is being looked at by the GST Council. He said, ‘I’ll talk to the Finance Minister about what you want.’

Also Read | Pesticide industry to work on alternatives as farmers interested in natural, organic farming: Tomar.

Mr. Tomar said he would talk to the Finance Ministry about the problem on behalf of the industry, but the GST Council would make the final decision. The Minister was responding to FICCI Crop Protection Committee Chairman R.G. Agarwal’s request that the GST should be cut from 18% to 5% like it is for fertilizers. This will bring down the price of crop-protection chemicals and encourage more people to use them.

Mr. Tomar also stressed the importance of making agriculture profitable by increasing production and crop productivity and lowering input costs and crop losses after harvest. He said that in the last eight years, the Centre has started a lot of programs to help the agriculture sector and double farmers’ incomes.

Mr. Tomar said that both the Center and the States are working to give farmers new technologies. He also said that the government is working on setting up 10,000 FPOs (farmers’ producer organizations) to help farmers make more money.

The Minister said that the country can produce enough food grains on its own and that the government is working hard to increase the production of oilseeds and pulses.

He talked about how research needs to be done in the agriculture sector on new seed varieties to increase crop yield. When Mr. Tomar talked about fertilizers and pesticides, he said that they should be used in a more balanced way.

Also Read | FICCI asked GST on pesticides to be lowered from 18% to 5% as it is for fertilizers.

He agreed that fertilizers and pesticides are not used too much in India, but he asked the industry to work on alternatives because farmers are also interested in natural and organic farming.

Mr. Tomar said that the government and the business world should work together to make small and poor farmers aware of the benefits of agrochemicals. Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) are working in this direction, the Minister said, but more needs to be done.