Centre withdraws approval for animal protein-based biostimulants citing religious, dietary concerns
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New Delhi: The Union Agriculture Ministry has reportedly withdrawn approval for 11 biostimulants derived from animal sources, including chicken feathers, pig tissue, bovine hide, and cod scales, just months after clearing them for agricultural use.
The decision followed complaints made to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s office by “individuals” from the Hindu and Jain communities, as reported by The Indian Express on Friday.
Biostimulants is a substance or microorganism, or a combination of both, that enhance plant health and productivity by improving nutrient uptake, growth, and resistance to stress. Unlike fertilisers or pesticides, they neither supply nutrients directly nor control pests.
The Centre’s decision is directed at one of the most common types of biostimulants: protein hydrolysate, which is a mixture of amino acids and peptides formed by breaking down proteins. They comprise different doses used for green gram, tomato, chilli, cotton, cucumber, hot pepper, soybean, grapes and paddy. The animal sources they rely on include bovine hide, hair and tanned skin; chicken feathers; pig tissue; skin, bones and scales of cod; and, a variety of sardine, added the report.
Biostimulants are commonly sold across the counter in liquid form and sprayed on crops.
These biostimulants were added to Schedule VI of the Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Order (FCO), 1985, through separate notifications earlier this year after the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) cleared them.
ICAR Director-General Mangi Lal Jat clarified that permission for these animal source-based biostimulants had been “withheld”. “No new category of biostimulants, which were not already in the market, were recommended for marketing. However, to avoid ethical issues and conflict with religious and dietary restrictions, biostimulants having protein hydrolysates derived from animal sources notified in the FCO were withheld till proper pre-harvest interval data (time between spraying and harvesting) is generated when the biostimulant is used as foliar spray (direct application on leaves),” TIE quoted Jat as saying.
India’s biostimulants market, valued at US$ 355.53 million in 2024, is projected to grow to US$ 1,135.96 million by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights. Leading companies in India’s biostimulant sector reportedly include Coromandel International, Syngenta, and Godrej Agrovet.
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Two people killed as poultry vehicle rams into parked truck in Belagavi
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Two people were killed, and another was severely injured after a goods vehicle transporting poultry birds allegedly rammed into a stationary truck on a national highway in Belagavi in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Wasim (28) and Mubarak (22), both natives of Shivamogga district, they said.
The driver of the vehicle, Basavaraj Eerappa Hanchinamani (37), suffered critical injuries and has been admitted to a hospital, police said.
According to police, the accident occurred when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, allegedly due to drowsiness, and crashed into a truck parked along the highway.
The goods vehicle was en route from Kolhapur to Sorab in Shivamogga district, carrying poultry. Several chickens were also killed in the impact, a senior police officer said.
Police personnel from the Hirebagewadi Police Station visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
Injured people and the bodies of the deceased were shifted to a hospital, police added.
