Government monitoring found pesticide residues above FSSAI limits in thousands of food samples collected from markets across India. The findings have renewed questions over food safety, banned chemicals and weak local testing capacity.
To cool onion prices, the government is releasing buffer stocks and selling them at nearly half the prevailing market price. But there is no such administrative intervention to control sugar prices.
India produced 307.37 lakh tonnes of onions this year, which is higher than domestic demand. But heavy rain during the harvesting of the rabi crop changed the situation.
India is grappling with rising sugar prices despite record sugarcane production. Lower recovery, exports, ethanol diversion and delayed action tightened domestic supply.
Syngenta has suffered a major setback in obtaining regulatory approval in India for its new herbicide, S-metolachlor Technical 96% (S-metolachlor). Taking serious note of the EU's restrictions and tumours detected in lab rats, the application has been put on hold.
India is moving towards allowing glyphosate under tighter conditions instead of a ban. The move has drawn criticism from environmental groups and farm activists over health risks and industry influence.
Official data shows maize prices remained below MSP despite the ethanol push, raising questions over who has benefited from the policy.
Government records showed safe alternatives for 27 pesticides, yet only three were fully banned in 2023. Cost pressures, industry lobbying and weak enforcement have kept the rest in use across Indian farms.
A French minister's decision to quit over pesticides harmful to bees has put the spotlight on India's own battle with hazardous agrochemicals. Despite growing concerns over their impact on pollinators, soil and human health, several toxic chemicals continue to be used in Indian agriculture.
The Centre is turning its attention to glyphosate after paraquat dichloride's exit from the farm sector. The move sharpens questions over whether chemicals facing health concerns abroad should remain acceptable in India.
A Rajasthan family has alleged that a private hospital in Chittorgarh left a surgical mop inside a woman during a Caesarean section, causing severe infection, multiple surgeries and medical expenses of nearly Rs 15 lakh.
India continues to allow Atrazine for farm use despite a 2020 draft move to ban it. The dispute has sharpened questions over groundwater safety, food residues and pesticide regulation.
India continues to allow Thiram even after government scientists proposed a ban and industry pushed back. The dispute has sharpened questions over pesticide regulation, public health and support for safer farm inputs.
Benfuracarb, a pesticide and nematicide that has been restricted or banned in several countries, continues to be available for use in India, raising questions over pesticide regulation, environmental safety and public health concerns.
India proposed banning carbendazim in 2020 after acknowledging its health risks, but reversed course in 2023, dropping it from the prohibition list despite global bans and its own safety concerns. Critics allege the policy U-turn reflected the influence of the agrochemical lobby over public health priorities.
Bees are the soul of our agriculture, and every morsel of food we eat is indebted to their existence. From mustard and sunflower to countless fruits and vegetables, the production of many crops depends on these tiny pollinators. They hold together the entire food chain, from farms to forests. Yet, it is alarming that chemicals known to kill them continue to be sold and sprayed across Indian farms, allegedly prioritising corporate profits over the country's food security.
Despite being banned in 31 countries over concerns about DNA damage, toxicity and environmental harm, Dimethoate continues to be sold in India due to its low cost and effectiveness, with regulators opting for partial restrictions instead of a complete ban.
Monocrotophos: The repeated formation of expert committees appears to have become a tried-and-tested administrative mechanism for pushing serious issues into cold storage and providing relief to influential lobbies.
Paraquat Dichloride continues to be used on Indian farms despite being banned in 74 countries. Its continued approval has intensified questions over pesticide regulation, farm safety and public health safeguards.
Dozens of countries have banned hazardous pesticides. In India, many remain in use, fuelling a growing battle over public health, farm economics and corporate accountability.
