Horticulture Dept to check sale of illegal fruit plants

With the plantation season for temperate fruits around the corner in the state, the Department of Horticulture is gearing up to check the unauthorised trade of planting material. To prevent the sale of illegal fruit plants, which could spread unknown insect/pests and diseases, the department has constituted committees at the district and block level. These committees will detect infestation of pests and diseases or defects in packaging and labelling of the planting material.

The committees, which will function under the chairmanship of Deputy Directors of the districts concerned, will also ensure that planting material is sourced from genuine and licensed nurseries having the requisite documents such as phytosanitary certificate and other mandatory permissions to sell plants in the state.

As per spokesperson of the Department of Horticulture, the inspecting authorities are empowered to confiscate any material that is found to be unauthorised or illegal or diseased during inspection.

The Deputy Commissioners of districts concerned have been requested to extend their full cooperation to the local field officer of the department during inspection at barriers so as to prohibit and regulate entry and sale of unauthorised/illegal planting material in the state.

The spokesperson further informed that the department had around three lakh good planting material available. He said farmers should procure material from the department or registered nurseries.