Federal and provincial bodies lock horns over pesticide laws

Certain entities benefit from lack of enforcement on agricultural laws

LAHORE: The enforcement of agricultural laws has landed two government departments at odds, as the federal ministry demands to replete the Punjab Agricultural Pesticides Act 2012 and the Punjab Agricultural Pesticides Rules 2018. The Federal Ministry of National Food Security And Research, at odds with the Punjab agriculture department, believes the two laws are redundant in the presence of the all-encompassing National Pesticide Act.

While on the other hand, the agricultural department has stated that all pesticides will need to be registered with the department if they are to be sold within the province. Further, the department has also denied the repletion of the provincial law, stating that such a scenario will only be imaginable if the federal ministry reinstates its extension officers as pesticide inspectors.

Details reveal that almost 100% of pesticides sold in the country are imported from abroad–– especially china–– only to be locally packaged and sold in Pakistan. Details further reveal that these pesticides have their major buyers in Punjab, which houses more than 22,000 pesticide shops across the province.

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Previously, the federal government had introduced the Agricultural Pesticide Act 1997, which allowed the extension department and the pest quality and control department the authority to inspect pesticides on a provincial level in Punjab. But owing to differences in legalities between the federal authorities and the provincial officers, the Punjab government later formulated the Punjab Agriculture Pesticide Act 2012 to replace the previous legislation.

Although enacted, there was little done to ensure the implementation of the new legislation, which left the federal law to remain relevant for the years to come. However, On January 1, 2017, The Federal Ministry of National Food Security And Research, also revoked the authorities of pest inspectors awarded to officers from the extension wing of the Punjab agricultural department, which took a toll on the entire agricultural system in the province.

Currently, the Punjab Agriculture Department’s pest warning wing employs nearly 150 field officers, who lack transport and other fundamental facilities. The wing also lacks the required network in the villages, which creates a further roadblock in the way of pesticide accountability.

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The department of extension, on the other hand, employs over 11,000 field staff members in Punjab, who possess access to each village in the province and are also equipped with all required facilities and resources. However, with the withdrawal of authority, the department’s jurisdiction is limited to inspecting fertilizers.

While efforts are being carried out to resolve the dispute between the two departments, the federal ministry has maintained its demand for the registration of pesticides to be eligible for sale in the province -- a mandate, the agricultural department has been actively protesting in its letters to the ministry.

According to sources, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s close aide and unofficial advisor on agriculture, Jhangir Tareen has contacted the parties to discuss plausible solutions to settle the dispute. While sources further reveal that in the wake of a dispute between the two departments, certain entities have been using the lack of authority to paddle substandard pesticides in the province.

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“We aim to offer standard and amalgamation free pesticide to the farmers in Punjab,” said the Punjab agriculture minister, Noman Langrial, addressing the federal government’s stance on the pesticide laws.

“The withdrawal of pest inspectors’ authority has created certain issues but we do not want to be at odds with the federal ministry and hence we have not fully enforced the provincial law as yet. But we expect the matter will be resolved within the next few weeks,” Langrial added.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, federal secretary NFS Hashim Popalzai said that all pesticides being used in the country are imported from other countries, and hence the federal law is more effective.

“We have asked the Punjab agriculture department to hold consultation with us and withdraw the provincial law so that the laws do not contradict each other and that the entities benefiting from don’t engage in forgery with the farmers,” Popalzai concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th, 2019.