At present, there are abundant of companies in India which are engaged in manufacturing of essential agricultural ingredients and pesticides for crop. However, very few companies are tagged by the government which manufactures the most essential needs of farmers. ‘Hindustan Insecticides Limited’, a government company which is a renowned name in the agricultural sector, currently benefiting farmers in many ways including running awareness campaigns among farmers within the country. It has been working in the sector since a long time.
The agricultural products of this company are preferred among most of the farmers due to their quality and reasonable prices. To know about the initiatives and steps towards the farmers of the country and the major products of the company, Krishi Jagran's team went to visit HIL and spoke to SP Mohanty, Chairman and Managing Director of the company. Here are some excerpts from the conversation -
1. SP Mohanty, tell me about yourself and your company?
I have been working as Director Marketing in this company since September 15, 2015 and now I am taking charge of both Chairman and Managing Director. The company has many plans in the upcoming years. If we talk about the company Hindustan Insecticides Limited, which is a subordinate company of the Government of India, was established in India in 1954.
At that time its purpose was something else but gradually its purpose changed with time.
Today, as a major company, we are working in all three areas of seeds, manure and agrochemicals. Two years ago, our company was renamed 'Hill' India, which is providing all kinds of facilities to all the farmers of the country in today's time.
2. Mohanty, how long has it been working in agriculture and how many products do you have in the current market?
The company was manufacturing agrochemicals since 1984. Since then, pesticides and fungicides are manufacturing for the farmers of the country. Then we came to the field of seeds around 2012 where our main focus is to provide good and quality seed species to the farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture then made us a National Level Agency of agro chemicals. In 2015, I joined this company and that year we also came in the field of fertilizer production and distribution. Now our prime aim is to provide all the things to the farmers under one roof - like seeds, fertilizers and then agrochemicals.
3. How long has HIL been working in agriculture and how many products do you have in the current market?
We have been contributing for agriculture since last many years. One of our company's insecticide products, ‘Endo-sulfan Hildan’ was very popular in the market. But later due to some NGOs, the Supreme Court had ordered to discontinue this product. After that, today we are in insecticides with generic molecules. As on today’s date, Chlorpyriphos which is famous in the whole country by the name of Hilvan.
4. How will your company play its role in PM Modi ji's 'Agriculture Dream Project' in which he promised to double the income of farmers by 2022?
We believe that Prime Minister Modiji has taken a very good step to double the income of farmers by 2022. Our role is to provide proper input. Unless the farmer gets a quality input at a good price. His expenditure increases very much there. As if the farmers will use Spurius Pesticide, that Pesticide will not work, then their entire crop will be spoiled, then how can dream of double their income.
Today HIL is working on this to prevent the wastage of inputs by giving quality product at right time to farmers so that our company can help in doubling the income of farmers by 2022. As far as increasing the income of farmers is concerned, it is necessary that farmers use seeds of the latest, high production, giving species and use pesticides at the right time in quality with right quantity, which will reduce their agricultural costs. And there will be more production per acre.
I am happy to say that Hill (India) Limited is constantly distributing the seeds to farmers on the seeds of the latest high yielding and insect resistant species. Our contribution in this is quite important. This is a continuous process and we are doing it safely and widely.
5. How is your position within the market right now?
At present, we have a lot of contribution in agrochemicals and seeds .Our company aims to increase its share in agrochemicals and seeds and economic in the future. Our company is fully planning to achieve this goal.
6. How do your products benefit farmers?
Production technology: We are benefiting farmers with supplying seeds of new and more productive species. I would like to tell that there is an agrochemical market of 15 thousand cores in our country, in which 30 percent fake pesticides are being sold. HIL is the only government company that is providing seeds, fertilizers and agrochemicals to farmers at a good price. Because, farmers hardly trust other private companies.
Therefore, our main objective is to make available seeds and pesticides of good quality to the farmers with a good price. So that their cost is reduced and they can increase their income through which we can see the prosperity and happiness on our farmer’s face, that’s our hope. We believe that if our donor is happy then our nation will also be happy.
7. What does your company believe about CSR, has your company ever participated in CSR activity?
I believe that the farmers do not have any full knowledge of the use of Agro Chemical and do not even know how to use it fully. So today, we have given training to about 1 lakh farmers where farmers are given free safety kits.
Where,they are instructed with how to use the pesticide. In the last few years, about 200 farmers and agricultural laborers have died in many states, especially in Punjab and Maharashtra for not taking proper precautions for safety measures. The main reason behind this tragedy is the unawareness of farmers and not being careful while spraying insecticidal medicines and using excessive or indiscriminate insecticidal medicines. Through these training programs, farmers are given awareness about how they can keep their life safe by adopting safety measures and using the right amount of prudent pesticides to protect the climate, environment, water storage area, land, birds, and livestock. It can also prevent the side effects of drug residues. For this special training campaign Hill (India) Limited has also been awarded with the award of Greentech CSR 2018 for social activities for the year 2018.
8. What message would you like to give to the farmers from our Krishi Jagran platform?
I would like to give the same message to the farmers of our country those nowadays different schemes, knowledge on farming and skills have been available for the farmers. Apart from that, we have very good agricultural machinery. In such a situation, the farmers should aware themselves with adopting modern farming by changing the methods of farming and take knowledge of new techniques. Farmers should move with the modern direction, new techniques and avail all the facilities, so that they can see an advanced future which ultimately resulted in an advanced India .Everyone needs to work in a collaborative way to make the Prime Minister's mission successful and make a new India.