Pesticide in Indian agriculture: Consumption pattern and farmers perception

The agricultural sector will need to transform into one that is sustainable more quickly to meet the demands of a growing population with rising incomes. Pests are thought to be growing and spreading quickly in agriculture and forestry ecosystems due to climate change. This study aims to examine the consumption pattern of pesticides in India and to assess the farmers’ perception of pesticide use. The consumption of pesticides in India was 52466.45 t in 2022-2023 which has declined from 63284.07 t (2021-2022). The consumption of pesticides was maximum in Maharashtra followed by Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Telangana and Haryana. In India, pesticide consumption per ha of gross cropped area was 0.322 kg/ha in 2017-18 and declined to 0.289 kg/ha in 2021-22. Jammu & Kashmir leads with rates of 2.097 kg/ha and 3.603 kg/ha in 2022–23 followed by Punjab, Haryana, and Telangana with 0.679 kg/ha, 0.619 kg/ha, and 0.613 kg/ha respectively. Perceived pesticide related environmental and human health impacts influence the farmers' decisions to follow appropriate and sustainable agricultural practices. Farmers are at significant risk of pesticide exposure due to their over- reliance on pesticides, ignorance of safe handling techniques, and limited access to pesticide training which demands prompt action to increase knowledge on those aspects for sustainable pest control, environmental and health protection. The association of mandatory training in the form of seminars and farmers’ field schools relating to pesticide application limits, use of personal protective equipment, risks to human health and the environment, enforcement of safety standards and laws for pesticide use and alternative pest management practices with financial support viz., incentives and subsidies may be extremely beneficial.