New insecticide lines: QR codes, safety symbols compulsory; Prohibition on products that do not meet | Today news

New -Delhi: In a move aimed at improving traceability, consumer awareness and environmental safety, the center has notified new insecticide packaging labeling rules, codes for rapid response (QR), safety photos or symbols, and detailed use instructions compulsory in all sizes of insecticides. The new rules, which were notified on June 5, amend the insecticide rules, 1971, and will come into effect from the date of publication in the official Government Gazette. This assumes the meaning, as nearly 2.75% of the pesticide samples tested in the FY24 across the country were substandard or false. Of the 80,789 samples analyzed, 2222 could not meet the prescribed standards, according to data shared by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Welfare of the Boers. According to the insecticides (first amendment), 2025, insecticide labels should now only be printed in Hindi and English and contain a wide variety of information – from brand names and use categories to toxicity symptoms and contact with customer care. The QR code on each package will contain unique product and group level data, including links to full label and leaflets, it reads. The amendment permits companies for six months to move to the new labeling format. Insecticides that do not meet the revised specifications will be impeded after 30 months from the date of notice, distribution or inventory. However, the rules include a provision for the submission of proposals or objections within the next 30 days. The new provisions apply to all insecticide packages, which are classified into three categories based on net content: ultra-small (1–50 gm/ml), small (51–250 gm/ml), and large (above 250 gm/ml). Labels should follow uniform standards with prescribed fonts, safety icons and warnings against abuse, including proper disposal methods. In addition to printed leaflets, large parcels sold over states must carry instructions in regional languages. All insecticides labels should display prominent warnings such as ‘Read Pamphlet before use’, and call the interval interval after application, approved by the registration committee. The inclusion of QR codes is intended to ensure that end users-especially farmers-can verify the producticity of the product and access full use instructions using their smartphones. The QR codes should link to the manufacturer’s website and include the manufacturing and expiry dates, group numbers and product identifiers. For ultra-small and small packages, a secondary package must also display the complete label information, unless the primary package already meets the new rule. Pictograms that indicate toxicity and environmental risk will be mandatory at the bottom of each label, according to the package size. The industry experts regard the rule change as a significant shift to safer and more accountable agrochemical practices. “For too long, substandard or counterfeit labels hold not only for farmers, but also for consumers and the environment. Digital traceability can be a game changer,” said Kalyan Goswami, director-general of the Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI), a body representing the agriculture of India. According to the market researcher and Consultance IMARC Group, the Indian pesticide market, worth £ 26,000 in 2024, becomes about 26,000 crore in 2024. The expansion is fueled by rising food production needs and greater demand for crop protection against pests and diseases.