ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s agriculture sector is facing growing uncertainty as significant delays in pesticide registrations and import permissions at the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) Karachi threaten the timely availability of critical crop protection products. The Pakistan Crop Protection Association (PCPA) has raised serious concerns over the situation in a formal letter sent to the Adviser and Director General of the DPP, with a copy also sent to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
According to the letter issued on June 30 by PCPA Executive Director Muhammad Sarwar Rahi, a large number of registration cases under Form-1, Form-16, and Form-17 remain pending with the regulatory authority. The association noted that despite the approval of products in the 62nd APTAC meeting, registration certificates under Form-1 have not yet been issued. This has disrupted import and marketing timelines, delaying the supply of pesticides to the farming community during a critical cropping season.
The letter further highlights that the backlog includes numerous Form-16 cases for generic products and Form-17 applications for new chemistry products, including renewals. Industry stakeholders are particularly concerned about the slow decision-making process at the DPP, where frequent and inconsistent queries are reportedly causing unnecessary delays. The association termed the level of pendency “alarming,” warning that it poses a direct threat to the timely launch and availability of crop protection products in the local market.
Industry sources claim that the repeated queries are actually aimed at forcing the importers to pay money or make a deal with the officials of DPP who are assigned to issue the certificates.
As per the letter, currently, Pakistan’s two major crops, cotton and rice are in the field, and the industry is finding it increasingly difficult to supply the necessary pesticides for pest and disease control. The association also expressed apprehension about the upcoming wheat sowing season and the plantation of key vegetables such as potato, tomato, and cucumber, stressing that product shortages could continue unless regulatory hurdles are cleared swiftly.
PCPA emphasized that in the prevailing tough business environment, each day of delay compounds the challenges for pesticide companies, dealers, and farmers alike. It has appealed to the authorities to urgently resolve the issues at the DPP so that the industry can proceed with timely sourcing, import, and distribution of essential products.
The association urged the federal government to take immediate action to ensure that the agricultural sector does not suffer due to bureaucratic inefficiencies. With the current climatic and economic pressures already burdening farmers, any disruption in the pesticide supply chain could have serious implications for crop productivity and national food security, the association claimed.
