SHAH KHALID
Srinagar Mar, 17: After a long gap of winters, the farmers across the valley have now started the agrarian activities in their Agri-based fields, by spraying the various kinds of Horticulture Mineral Oils and other pests in their orchards. However the farmers this year have again a fair of losing their crop season.
Meanwhile the farmers and Fruit growers last year have criticized the government and horticulture allied agencies for providing a market to fake and sub-standard pests, by which the quality of their fruits got declined due to crop disease, by which the farmer and growers had witnessed a considerable decrease in fruit production, which had led them to face various kinds of hardships.
Some farmers have revealed to Kashmir Despatch that some sub-standard pests are sold in the market under the tag of some multinational companies and the dealers are sold these pests on exorbitant rates, by misleading the poor section of society whose basic comes from horticulture sector, besides they have initially opted for Kissan KCC loans for buying the horticulture pests and related fertilizer.
Meanwhile, a group of farmers had told this correspondent that the Government must come up with mobile testing labs, to check out the quality of pests before the marketing of pests and fertilizers. The Government in past have taken various Kinds of steps in collaboration with State Horticulture and Agri Department to set up a marketing task force for checking the authenticity and quality of drugs, but the farmer community considered it a mere eyewash.
Meanwhile today the Deputy Director Agriculture through its Law Enforcement Wing has issued a notification for the general public under DPIK/6733/19 of which a copy is in possession with Kashmir Despatch had revealed the list of sub-standard drugs and had advised the farmers not to buy such pests under the said trademark. however, when this correspondent called Upon Director Agriculture Kashmir he told Kashmir Despatch that our department is in full swing to carry out such raids on manufacturing and distribution units, to check the quality of pests and licenses of approval in the interest of the general public.
