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New Delhi: The Union Agriculture Ministry has reportedly withdrawn approval for 11 biostimulants derived from animal sources, including chicken feathers, pig tissue, bovine hide, and cod scales, just months after clearing them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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Kolkata Port: Decline in number of voters during SIR brings in uncertainty in TMC bastion
Kolkata (PTI): A sharp decline in the number of voters following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has injected an element of uncertainty into the Kolkata Port Assembly constituency, considered a safe seat for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The electorate in the south Kolkata constituency has dropped from 2.36 lakh in the 2021 Assembly polls to around 1.75 lakh, a fall of nearly 26 per cent, prompting political parties to closely assess its potential impact on the April 29 polling.
The TMC re-nominated senior minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, who has held the seat for two consecutive terms, while the BJP fielded Rakesh Singh. The Congress nominated Aquib Gulzar, and the CPI(M) put up Faiyaz Ahmad Khan, making it a four-cornered contest.
Kolkata Port, part of the Kolkata Dakshin parliamentary constituency, comprises dock areas, old business districts and densely populated neighbourhoods. Muslim voters form a significant segment of the electorate, alongside traders, transport workers and working-class Hindu families.
The reduction in voter numbers has prompted party workers across formations to scrutinise the revised rolls booth-wise to identify deletions and assess whether specific localities have been affected.
Singh’s candidature has added a twist to the contest. He had earlier contested against Hakim as a Congress candidate but is now in the fray on a BJP ticket.
Hakim won the seat in 2016 by 26,548 votes, defeating Singh, and increased his margin significantly to 68,554 votes in 2021, polling over one lakh votes.
While the TMC has expressed confidence in retaining the seat, opposition parties have raised concerns over the voter list revision, alleging that names of genuine voters have been removed.
“People here know who has stood by them. Elections are decided by trust,” Hakim told PTI during a campaign event.
Singh claimed several residents had complained about missing names in the rolls, stressing the need for transparency. The CPI(M) nominee also said voters in several areas had raised similar concerns.
The constituency has remained a difficult terrain for the opposition in recent elections.
Civic issues such as sanitation, traffic congestion and declining business activity in traditional markets also feature in the campaign in the constituency, though the revised voter list has emerged as a key talking point.
Polling in the constituency will be held in the second phase on April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
