Insecticides (India) has been vocal about the judicious use of agrochemicals and has the vision to bring the latest technology within the reach of even small and marginal farmers. Rajesh Aggarwal, MD, Insecticides (India) reveals more
What role is IIL playing when it comes to judiciously using pesticides?
Insecticides (India) has been a vocal advocate for judicious use of agrochemicals. Before the pandemic hit us, IIL was working aggressively to educate the farmers in all parts of the country. In these meetings, they are being made aware of the four important points of Right Time, Right Dosage, Right Method and Right Product. IIL Foundation, the CSR wing of Insecticides (India) also collaborated with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR-IARI) to conduct a project based on the on-ground experiment which showed the farmers how they can get more yield despite using agrochemicals prudently. IIL has also deployed a team of about 600 crop advisors in this kharif season who will work with farmers in the fields and help them to get the right solution for their crop protection requirements.
How is IIL going to make an impact on India’s agri system and help farmers in the long run?
IIL strives hard to play an important role in improving the farmers’ access to safe agrochemicals that are made using the latest chemistry and are eco-friendly. IIL has the vision to bring the latest technology within the reach of even small and marginal farmers. Our network of about 60,000 retailers and our team helps in doing that. The latest products launched by IIL are required to be used in less dosage with increased efficiency, thereby helping in safety for farmers and the environment with very low or no residue. Many of the new products also provide rain fastness.
Recently you have deployed 600+ crop advisors. How will farmers be benefitted from this initiative?
IIL every year deploys several crop advisors and this year as well have done the same. They generally go and meet the farmers and help them in their various crop protection requirements and make them aware of the latest technology and other important points that can help the farmers to reduce their cost of inputs.
What will be your plans for IIL five years down the line?
Looking at the industry trends, we are expecting reasonable growth in the coming years with our pipeline of new products. We wish to continue to expand our R&D capabilities to bring more products based on safe chemistry and within the reach of all farmers.
What are the new launches in the pipeline?
In FY 2021-22, we have a pipeline of five to six products. Out of these, two products — Hachiman and Oxim — are already available in the market.
How does IIL contribute to sustainability in agrochemicals?
We need to seek approval from the Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for all our products before they are made available to farmers as per their regulations and guidelines. The CIB has stringent criteria in place that ensures that only products qualifying on all parameters are approved.
How did IIL perform in the last quarter and what are your expectations from future quarters?
In Q1 FY22, IIL’s net profit was at Rs 35 crores with margins of 7.4 per cent that is improving and moving closer to the pre-COVID levels. We also received three (3) category registrations for technicals that will further strengthen and improve our product portfolio. We are optimistic about the long-term growth of the agri sector due to its strong fundamentals and being the backbone of the Indian economy. In the short term, we have to be cautious as the recovery of both the economy and agriculture will depend on the impact of sequential waves of health pandemic COVID-19 and our nation’s ability to contain it.
Sanjiv Das
sanjiv.das@mmactiv.com
