Vested interests in demanding ban on endosulfan: PMFAI

Domestic pesticide makers today said that the demand for banning endosulfan pesticide in India is being driven by vested interests of Multinational firms.

"The demand for banning endosulfan in India, is motivated by the vested interest of Eurpean pesticide makers, who are interested in promoting their patented products in the country,"Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) President Pradeep Dave told media here.

European companies, which have vested business interests are lobbying for imposing an international ban on endosulfan as the ban would create a market for their products in the third world countries, he said.

Dave added that endosulfan is being used in the country for the last 50 years and there has been no such scientific records available, which indicate that the use of this chemical has resulted into serious health hazards of any kind.

International Stewardship Centre, an NGO working for chemical industry, said that replacing endosulfan with any other chemical would be at least 10 times costlier for the Indian farmers.

"A litre of endosulfan costs Rs 250 to Indian farmers whereas any chemical manufactured by multinational would cost more than Rs 2,500 per litre thus making the use of pesticides 10 times costlier,"International Stewardship Centre Chairman R Hariharan said.

Source: Press Trust of India (PTI)

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