Haryana May Ban 11 Basmati Pesticides

Basmati rice exports from India have been facing repeated rejection owing to high pesticide residues

- Vijay C. Roy

Haryana is gearing up to ban hazardous pesticides in Basmati rice in an attempt to make it easier to export the grain to developed and other markets with high food safety standards.

Neighboring Punjab—like Haryana, a major agricultural state—has already enforced such a ban in order to meet what is known as the International Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs).

These two states account for nearly 70%-75% of India's basmati exports of 6 million tonnes (in FY25). MRL is the highest concentration of a pesticide or veterinary drug residue legally allowed in food or animal feed, established to ensure food safety based on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).

The Union government has also imposed a ban on four highly hazardous pesticides.