Drive to check sale of substandard pesticides

Drive to check sale of substandard pesticides
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 17
As the sowing of kharif crops is going on in full swing across the state, the Agriculture Department has launched a massive drive to keep a check on the sale of substandard pesticides, weedicides and insecticides.

Earlier, it had been reported that a large number of pesticide dealers were looting farmers by selling misbranded items to earn easy money. Acting over such complaints, the department has decided to check the stock of all dealers throughout the state.

The department has also issued an advisory to the farmers so that they don’t get cheated by unscrupulous dealers.

“The enforcement wing of the department has advised all farmers not to use Butaveer (a weedicide brand) batch No BuTJK0190 and KRICEL (an insecticide brand) batch No KRE1JK/256 as these have been found substandard in the quality control lab of the department,” said a senior officer of the department.

He further said all enforcement officers had been directed to seize the stock of said pesticides under batch No KRE/JK-389 CMO2.

“Similarly, the farmers have also been advised not to use Butaveer (Nanda Dawa) batch No ButJK0190, Benmain (fungicide) batch No MA00908CB and KRICEL (insecticide) batch No KREJK256 as these have also been found misbranded after lab tests,” he added.

He said so far the drive had proved successful and a large quantity of misbranded items had been seized.

“Now, the farmers will have to be aware so that their produce could be saved. First, they should use the pesticide, insecticide or weedicide over a small area so that the result could be checked. If it comes positive, only then they should spray it over the entire crop otherwise it might prove harmful,” said the officer.

Courtesy: The Tribune