As the government reviews the sale of crop-protection chemicals Paraquat Dichloride and Carbosulfan, CropLife India has urged policymakers to avoid a “misdiagnosis” of the deeper crisis behind farmer suicides.
Paraquat Dichloride and Carbosulfan are under the scanner following restrictions in Telangana and concerns over poisoning deaths.
The industry body argues that restricting pesticides does not address the underlying causes of distress in rural India, warning that such measures could unintentionally intensify financial pressure on farmers already facing rising costs and uncertain incomes.
“A restriction removes the means, but it does not remove the root cause. In fact, restricting a product may deepen the distress that drives a farmer to take his or her life,” the association said.
Citing academic research, CropLife India said the evidence consistently points to economic factors—particularly debt and crop failure—as the dominant drivers of farmer suicides. A 2024 study in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine reportedly found that suicides in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are primarily driven by financial distress, especially debt traps, rather than mental health alone.
It also referenced research by the International Institute for Environment and Development, which found a strong correlation between rainfall variability and suicide rates.
The study estimated that farmer suicides averaged around 810 per year with a 5% rainfall deviation, rising to a projected 1,188 in severe drought conditions. It further noted that stronger social protection systems helped reduce suicide incidence even during crop failures.
“Taken together, the evidence makes clear that suicide is the symptom of a deeper crisis, and that restrictions on vital crop-protection products may only exacerbate it,” CropLife India said.
The timing of the review, the association added, is particularly sensitive as the kharif sowing season begins, when farmers have already committed to input costs. It warned that any disruption in access to established weed and pest control tools could raise cultivation expenses at a critical stage.
Weed losses remain a major burden, with an estimated Rs. 92,000 crore in annual productivity losses, according to data cited from the Directorate of Weed Research and the Federation of Seed Industry of India. The group said weeds reduce yields by 25–26% in kharif crops and 18–25% in rabi crops.
CropLife India highlighted that Paraquat is used across roughly 80 lakh acres and supports weed control in crops including cotton, maize, potato, tea, coffee, rubber, orchards and plantations. It is also linked to conservation agriculture practices such as zero tillage.
The product, it said, costs about Rs. 300–350 per acre—significantly lower than manual weeding amid rising labour shortages.
Carbosulfan, meanwhile, is used on about 32 lakh acres and remains one of the limited effective options against gall midge in paddy.
Rising input costs and yield losses, the group warned, compound farmer indebtedness—the very condition it identifies as central to the suicide crisis.
“While debating on any product, we are deviating from the key concern of farmer’s suicide,” said Ankur Aggarwal, Chairman, CropLife India and Executive Chairman & Managing Director, Crystal Crop Protection Ltd.
“The key issue is that a farmer's distress does not disappear when a product is removed overnight. The debt, the failed crop and the fear of what comes next remain. If the aim is to save lives, the response must reach that cause, with solutions that enable availability of credit, a fair price for the crop, insurance that pays when the harvest fails, and stewardship and Good Agricultural Practices training on the ground.”
CropLife India said it supports the Government’s expert committee review and welcomed what it described as a “considered, consultative and science-based approach.” It also reiterated its readiness to collaborate on safety and stewardship initiatives, including better storage, responsible use, protective equipment, and regulated sales.
The association, representing 17 R&D-driven companies accounting for nearly 70% of India’s crop protection market, said it remains committed to working with policymakers on farmer welfare measures.
It concluded that the focus must remain on structural distress rather than product bans, arguing that only deeper reforms can meaningfully reduce farmer suicides.
