29 May 2026, Chandigarh: Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI) organised an awareness and interaction programme for agri dealers and distributors in Punjab and Haryana to strengthen collaboration between the agrochemical industry and channel partners to promote sustainable and scientific farming practices.

The programme, themed "Strengthening Dealer Industry Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture", touched on issues such as responsible product use, farmer awareness, stewardship initiatives, and safe agricultural practices amid evolving regulatory expectations.

Kalyan Goswami, Director General, ACFI, said, "Agri dealers and distributors serve as the first point of interaction for farmers and therefore play a critical role in guiding farming communities towards scientific and judicious use of agrochemicals. The event focussed on building farmer trust through responsible advisory practices, addressing misinformation around pesticide usage, strengthening coordination between industry and distribution networks, and improving farmer education at the grassroots level."

The programme also deliberated on best practices for responsible agri-input retailing, preventing counterfeit products, enhancing productivity while ensuring environmental safety, and encouraging informed decision-making at the farm level.

Attended by agri dealers, distributors, retailers, field-level advisors and sales and marketing professionals from across the agricultural value chain, the industry and channel partners vowed to play a stronger role in promoting the safe, scientific, and responsible use of agrochemicals while supporting Indian agriculture and farmers' welfare.

"Stronger collaboration has become increasingly important to support long-term agricultural sustainability, improve awareness on safe usage practices and strengthen compliance with evolving stewardship and regulatory frameworks," Goswami added.

The programme additionally focused on knowledge sharing, technical training, and the adoption of modern agricultural practices aimed at improving productivity while balancing environmental responsibility and user safety.

Sanjay Chaudhary from Indogulf Cropsciences Ltd., Dr M Irfan from Bharat Certis Agrisciences Ltd, and Mr Dharam Kumar Bansal, Vice President, Agri Inputs Dealers Association (Regd.) Punjab were the other dignitaries who, besides bursting the myth on pesticide usage, also addressed the need to promote sustainable agriculture and the role of dealers in promoting scientific use of agrochemicals.