HIL eying big orders from African countries amid lockdown

New Delhi: Despite enormous logistic and other challenges posed by Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, HIL (India) Limited, a PSU under Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, is making all efforts to ensure the adequate supply of insecticides to farmer community in the country and at the same time eying big export orders of DDT from African countries.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, HIL has already written letters to 10 Southern African Development Community (SADC) for the supply of DDT in view of warning issued by World Health Organisation (WHO) about the increase in Malaria cases in the region in coming months.

During the lockdown period till May 7, in the country, HIL has produced 120.40 MT DDT Technical, 226.00 MT DDT 50 percent WDP, 85.00 MT Malathion Technical, 16.38 MT Hilgold and 27.66 MT formulations so that the farmer community may not feel the heat of lockdown. Apart from this Malathion Technical production is also continuing for the locust control programme. Continues supply of malathion technical to ministry of agricultures locust control programme in Rajasthan and Gujarat is done. DDT 50 percent WDP dispatched to Odisha (30 MT) as per National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) supply order.

Manufacturing units of HIL are running by maintaining social distancing and with minimum manpower as per standard operating procedure (SOP) in this regard. Sanitization level in all these units has been increased. All workplace, plants, trucks and buses entering factory are being sanitized frequently, the press release said.

During the last week company's total sale stood at Rs 278.82 lakh. This included the sale of agrochemicals, fertilizers and seeds. Online tender's processing and procurement activities are also being carried out.