CropLife seeks 5-year data protection to expand farmers' access to new pesticides

CropLife India has called for a five-year data protection period to encourage agrochemical companies to bring newer pesticide molecules to the country. The industry body argues that extending patent-like protections on research data would widen the range of pest-control options available to farmers.

The push aims to make India a more attractive market for global pesticide manufacturers developing innovative solutions. Currently, shorter protection windows limit companies' incentive to introduce cutting-edge formulations domestically, CropLife contends.