Hyderabad: Project Director, ICAR Directorate of Knowledge Management and Former Agricultural Commissioner, Govt of India Dr. S K Malhothra has said that the reputation of bio-stimulants, the new sector, needed to be improved as the world is looking at India for them
In his inaugural address at the Second Edition of the two-day BioAgri conference organized by the Bioagri Input Producers Association (BIPA) with the theme “India-The Global Gateway for BioAg Solutions” here on Wednesday Dr. Malhothra said the three pillars of agriculture are soil, seeds, and fertilizers. Now four more are added which include machines, bio-stimulants, pollinators, and Agronomy and Analytics.
The MSME-dominated bio-stimulant market in India has a regulatory framework in place. Now companies are subject to regulatory provisions put forth by the Government of India. But this is not comprehensive and is still evolving. It should be revisited and re-reviewed to address changing needs and challenges, he said.
Dr. Malhothra said that bio-stimulants prime benefit is they increase metabolic activity. Their cellular mechanism interaction needed to be researched. This will give strength and power to the plants and address mitigating abiotic stress. Because people want safe food.
World over bio-stimulants is discussed as Agri-inputs. There is a demand to include microbial in the Bio-stimulants category he said and added that he also agrees. So regularly guidelines need to be re-visited to address these demands, he added
We need to enhance the reputation of bio-stimulants which is emerging as a new sector. The world is asking for them. Europe is a big market. BIPA can play a bigger role in helping firm up more comprehensive policy guidelines, he said, and added that he also supports the long-felt demand to reduce GST on Biopesticides to 5 percent from 18 percent.
