Assam: NETA appeals for prohibition on sale and use of certain pesticides

Producers seek to ensure quality Assam tea

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: With the best interest of Assam Tea in mind, the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) today appealed to the state government to prohibit the sale, stock, distribution, and use of certain pesticides in the state of Assam so that better quality tea is assured.

A delegation of the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA), led by its Chairman, Ajay Dhandharia, met Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora on Sunday and submitted a memorandum regarding a ban on the sale of certain pesticides and “FSSAI compliance in Tea” to resolve the present crisis in the Assam tea industry.

Following the meeting with NETA, Minister Atul Bora told The Sentinel, “During our discussion, NETA raised the issue of the sale and stocking of certain pesticides. Our government also wants quality tea to be produced in Assam. The issues raised by NETA will be placed by me on the proper platform for their resolution.”

In its memorandum, NETA stated that 50% of the total green leaf is produced by the Small Tea Growers (STGs). Due to a lack of awareness, the STGs spray some pesticides that are not approved for use in tea. However, these pesticides, which are not approved for use in tea, are available on the open market because they can be used in other crops. Tea is the lifeline industry of Assam; 90% of total exports from Assam are tea alone: Lakhs and lakhs of people’s livelihoods are dependent upon this industry.

In recent days, during testing of teas, it was found that six pesticides—Cypermethrin, Acephate, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dinotefuran, and Fipronil—that are not approved for use in tea have sometimes crossed the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL). The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in a directive dated March 4, 2024, has made it mandatory to test these pesticides. “We envisage that 90% of our FSSAI compliance issue in tea would get resolved if these six pesticides were prohibited from being sold to tea growers, in the same line as recently adopted for Monocrotophos,” the NETA delegation stated.

NETA cited the example of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of Punjab, which, in compliance with the Insecticides Act, 1968 (Central Act 46 of 1968), issued a notification in March 2024 announcing a ban on the sale, distribution, and use of specific ten pesticides in the state to protect the interests of Basmati rice growers and ensure the production of high-quality rice with no pesticide residues.

The NETA delegation expressed its gratitude to the state government for accepting their previous appeal and the resultant directive issued by the Director of Agriculture, Government of Assam, in February 2024 on “strict enforcement against the use of Monocrotophos in Tea Plantation and Vegetables”. This directive has greatly helped in reducing the incidence of monocrotophos in tea, they said.

The delegation that met with Atul Bora also comprised NETA adviser Bidyananda Barkakoty, Vice Chairman Neeraj Jallan, and Executive Members Manoj Jallan, Amit Malpani, Sudhir Roy, Vishal Jallan, Nitin Kashyap, and Secretary Manisha Sharma.

 Also Read: Dispur College, Tea Academy of NETA sign MoU on tea course (sentinelassam.com)

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