Pesticide Consumption in India: A Review

This review offers a broad analysis of consumption trends of pesticides over the period of 2013-24 across the states of India. The study examines the evolving trends of pesticide consumption in India and globally, as well as how dynamics are changing within various states and Union territories. Although the overall trend of pesticide consumption is negative, the growth rate of domestic pesticide consumption has shown wide variations over the years. A positive increased trend was shown when the consumption of pesticides was seen between states and union territories. Uttar Pradesh was the state with the greatest overall pesticide usage followed by Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana. This review also examines consumption of different classes of pesticides in world and India, pesticide treated area for main crops, production, import and export data of pesticides. Furthermore, significant differences in pesticide use between crops and areas highlight the need for corrective measures to increase consistency and sustainability in farming methods.