Another pesticide disaster looms, farmers panicky

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 9

Yet to recover from the massive cotton crop loss they suffered in 2015, farmers in Malwa may be in for another jolt as they discover that many of them have already treated their fresh crop to a cocktail of spurious pesticides.

The realisation is only dawning upon them now. As many as 24 out of 34 samples of fertilisers and pesticides collected by the Agriculture Department have failed, forcing the government to stop the sale of the products of several firms.

The cotton crop had failed miserably in 2015, following which a pesticide scam worth Rs 1,700 crore was unearthed.

The extent of the damage at this stage of the current Bt cotton crop is hard to estimate as agriculture officials are denying the spurious products have yet been sold. There are, however, pointers to the contrary, with some farmers even having ploughed back their cotton crop as pesticides did not take effect.

Officials unaware: Farmers

Farmer unions claim pesticides are being sprayed for more than a month now. “Officials sitting in offices don’t know the ground reality. The farmers who were fooled into buying substandard pesticides may be looking at crop loss again. The thrip (a variety of pest) attack is on the rise and leaves have started shrinking. Whitefly has also been spotted. In certain fields, the number of adult flies on the cotton leaves is more than six or seven,” claims Shingara Singh Mann, leader of the BKU Ekta Ugrahan faction.

Ram Singh Bhainibhaga — who heckled the Agriculture Director at Mansa Kisan Mela a few days back — claims it is a lie that sub-standard pesticides have not been sold. “There are still many varieties of pesticide available in the market that farmers are buying but have not been tested. What if those are also spurious?” he asks.

We acted in time: Agri Dept

State Agriculture Director Jasbir Singh Bains says the department has been on its toes monitoring the extent of whitefly infestation. “The department stopped the sale of substandard products in time, and farmers need not worry.”

Certain experts have also claimed that the stage for spray of pesticides will arrive in a few days. Right now, the cotton crop is facing leaf thrip, but cotton plants that have grown over 3-3.5 feet are safe, they say. In the case of whitefly, if six or more adult flies are detected on the leaves then spray is advised.

However, enquiries by The Tribune from the field reveal that around 70 per cent of the farmers have already completed one round of spray. Some are beginning a second round. Many have suffered damage to the crop, with a few even ploughing it into the ground.

(With inputs from Amarjit Thind)

Raids across Malwa

n The discovery of there being spurious fertilisers and pesticides was made after 24 of 34 samples failed the quality test by the Agriculture Department in Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar and Fazilka. An agriculture officer said apart from cancellation of companies’ licences, firms may also have to face prosecution under the Pesticides Act, 1974.

n While several firms have been acted against, many raids were in response to reports of sale of spurious products. This indicates that such products have indeed reached farmers. 

Hyderabad firm’s licence cancelled

An entire batch of 10 samples taken from the Ludhiana godowns of the Hyderabad-based KPR Agro Chemicals failed. Subsequently another nine samples were tested, and those failed too. The licence of the firm was cancelled.

Fazilka products under lens

Four of five samples taken from Fazilka-based Agro Care Chemicals India failed. Sale of the firm’s products was stopped in Punjab. Another 10 samples of the firm have been taken, the results of which are awaited. Two out of eight samples taken from Radical Crops, also a Fazilka-based firm, have also failed. Two of the two samples of Kisan Chemicals & Fertilisers also failed.

Sirsa connection

A Sirsa-based firm selling products in Punjab at half the price was raided in collaboration with the Haryana Government. All of their products had no effect on the crops as they were fake.