ZT NEWS NETWORK
Srinagar: Various chemical laboratories of J&K government have reported several batches of pesticides from five major companies as “misbranded” and have asked fruit growers to avoid their use.
According to official reports shared with Ziraat Times, several product batches of below-mentioned pesticides, duly recommended in the official spray schedule, have been declared “misbranded” by official testing laboratories. It has not been clarified specifically what the term “misbranded” actually means.
Several orchardists from across Kashmir told Ziraat Times that they feel dejected that time and again they receive such information from Horticulture and Agriculture Departments only after they use these pesticides in their orchards.
“What is the fun of sharing this information now when the fruit is now at maturing stage? Why can’t this information be provided to us right at the time when such consignments reach Kashmir markets?”, asked Gulam Nabi of Sopore.
Orchardists, including big Mandi associations, maintain that they suspect that there is a “collusion somewhere between the authorities in universities, law enforcement departments and pesticides companies in allowing sub-standard and misbranded agro-chemicals in Kashmir markets”.
Reputed companies, with good quality control mechanisms, on the other hand, maintain that substandard and diluted chemicals in Kashmir come from obscure firms, who use big names only to create confusion among the buyers.
Ziraat Times has not independently verified any of these claims being made by any side.
Meanwhile, farmers have been advised to avoid the use of the following batches of the brands in their orchards:
Captaf (Rallis India Ltd)Avtar (Indifill Industries Ltd); Roger (Chemenova india Ltd); Maiden (Biostadt india Ltd); Macoban (Adama Ltd). Captaf B.
Batch numbers
No A00362, jA09223, AN01709, ANO 1706, AN1708, AN01715, JA00182.
Avtar; TAV18-0445, TAV18-0470, TAV18-0756.
Maiden jMX 19LB 009;