International Panaacea Limited (IPL) is one of the pioneers in agricultural biotechnology primarily engaged in delivering products to maximize agricultural productivity and sustainability.Using fermentation process, IPLmanufactures high quality bio-products such as Bio-fertilizers, Bio-pesticides and Enzymes for the encouragement of organic farming and sustainable agriculture in India. These bio products are approvedunder Fertilizers Control Order, 1985 and also registered by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee as per Insecticide Act, 1968.Company is maintaining high quality standards of its bio-products,higher than the minimum standardsspecified by above mentioned two regulatory bodies in India.
IPL focuses on finding “Solutions through Biotechnology” and has diversified its R & D efforts into Agri Biotech, Industrial & Environmental Biotech.IPL is in the continuous process of innovating, designing and developing novel products to find alternates of agrochemicals. KrishiJagraninteracted with Mr. Neeraj Gulati, Head-Marketing of InternationalPanaacea Limitedand discussed about sustainable agriculture through Biotechnology.
Q. What are the ill effects of high usage of Chemicals in Indian Agriculture?
For the last 50 years, India had worked towards improving the living standards of Indians but all these were achieved through excessive use of chemicals in all forms of life like agriculture, health and environment. Injudicious use of chemical pesticides in agriculture, antibiotics in health care and various toxic chemicals had led to harmful effect on the Mother Nature and the same wayon human beings.
There are hundreds of such instances of the chemical poisoning. Indiscriminate use of chemical fertiliser and pesticides is leading to direct poisoning of the food we eat and the milk we drink, it is also poisoning the soil, ground water and rivers. The most damaging fact is that these chemicals leave residues which remain in soil and environment for many years; and hence these poisons accumulate every year, and keep growing in the eco-system.
Q How IPL has catered to these issues and contributed for Solutions?
We have solutions to these problems through Biotechnology. International Panaacea Limited with its expertise on Biotechnology is always working to find alternates for agro chemicals through Biotechnology. We have developed bio-products which have given excellent result in Nutrient management, Insect pest and Diseases management in different crops. These are effective on all types of diseases i.e. soil borne, seed borne and foliar diseases. In case of insect pest management, our products are effective against soil-borne insects, sucking pests, lepidopteron pests, mites and nematodes. Large number of farmers and growers are regularly using our products and are getting benefittedby controlling some of difficult to control diseases like Citrus – Quick wilt, gummosis, citrus canker, Pomegranate – Xanthomonas, fruit rot, Banana – Wilt & Sigotaka, Papaya – Quick wilt, Cotton – Fusarium wilt, Ginger& Turmeric – Rhizome rot, Strawberry – Wilt & fruit rot, Grapes – Powdery mildew & Downy Mildew,Groundnut – Collar Rot & wilt.
Q.What are the services you provide to the farmers through your customer care service"Phaslon Ka Doctor"?
We feel extremely proud to inform you that we have started "Phaslon Ka Doctor" a Customer Care Service for all farmers across India through Toll free number. We have implemented this system in order to accomplish following objectives:
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To provide information on better agricultural practices;
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To provide solutions to the farming problems;
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To provide information on organic and sustainable agriculture;
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To provide information to improve productivity and economy.
We are one of the pioneer in Agri-sector in providing these kind of services to our clients. We have set up the benchmarks for the existing players to exemplify.
Q. As food security is a big concern, How International Panaacea Ltd. has planned to curve this national issue?
Yes, biotechnology is the only solution to meet the growing food requirements. Growing world population and shrinking cultivable land puts tremendous pressure on the agricultural outputs. Apart fromthis,decreasing cultivableland and receding fertility of land, pests and diseases contributes to huge losses in production. Green revolution facilitated the increase in production through the use of agrochemicals and pesticides to combat the constraints for yield. However, in the long term lot of side effects can be seen like environmental pollution, increase cost of production and seeping of chemicals into food products. Our objective is to promote use of biological products for sustainable agriculture and create awareness among farmers through farmer meetings, campaigns, training programs and by conducting on field demonstrations. With increasing awareness, attention has been shifted to biological alternatives for agrochemicals and pesticides. The usage of bio fertilisers and bio pesticides has increased farmer status through viable, cost effective and multitasking alternatives for improved crop production.
Q. What is current crux in the field of organic & sustainable agriculture?
Microbial based bio fertilizers and bio pesticides are the most important ones for practicing organic & sustainable agriculture. These microbes have almost all the properties, endowed by nature, to provide solution to existing agro-problems of Indian agriculture andintroduced five decades ago butmost of the farmers still raise eyebrows when talked about these microbes, the reason being their past experiences of using low C.F.U count bio-inputs and inferior strains.
We ensure that only the high CFU count i.e., high microbial count biofertilizers & biopesticides with improved shelf life, effective strainswhich are registered and certified are promoted with significant information which International Panaacea limited has been doing since last 20 years.