Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) has been demanding since a long time that assessment of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) need to be Risk based on scientific evidences. MRLs should not be based on hazard based approach, as is done by EU and some other nations.

The recent rejections of some of India’s agricultural produce exports consignments to some countries on account of non-compliance with their MRLs, mainly to do with the global differences in regulations.

First of all, MRL is not a toxicological safety standard, but only a trading standard. MRLs don’t represent un acceptable risk to public health. MRL can be as low as 0.01 ppm which is equals to 1 gm per 100 tons of rice or any other agricultural commodity. At this level, a pesticide would not be toxicologically/biologically relevant.

The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement) entered into force with the establishment of the World Trade Organization on January 1, 1995. Its provisions are legally binding on all countries that are members of WTO.

SPS Agreement allows WTO member countries to set their own standards for sanitary and phytosanitary measures. At the same time, it also says measures must be based on science. But the problems arise from assessing and setting standards by different countries.

Commenting on the issue, Pradip Dave, President, PMFAI, says: “The European Union (EU) uses unilaterally enhanced SPS measures which create trade barriers to other countries including India by imposing unreasonable standards, which are trade restrictive to exporters of developing countries. There are also some countries who blindly follow EU policies.

“While India maintains easy to import regime, our agricultural exports face non-tariff barriers in the guise of SPS measures.

“None of the Indian ports tests the imported consignments for pesticide residues before allowing them for domestic consumption. FSSAI has not created the infrastructure to enable the test under the SPS Agreement and India do not reject any imported consignments on account of MRL violation.

“This has to change and India also must subject the imported food and agri produce consignments to the same level of MRL tests that other countries subject our exported consignments. India should also reject and return the imported consignments that do not meet our MRL standards, till the time WTO frame guidelines to determine default MRLs applicable to all WTO members.

“Other countries including EU use much more pesticides than India. India is one of the lowest pesticide consuming countries in the world with 0.65 gm/hectare against the global average of 3 kg/hectare. Food and agricultural products imported from other countries would be carrying residues of pesticides that are not approved in India. India should not grant free and unchecked entry to them.

“But we expect World Trade Organization (WTO) to frame default guideline to determine MRLs and makes it applicable to countries all over the world. This will provide level playing field to all countries in international trade.”