Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Aug 16 : The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has allocated funds for the establishment of two state-of-art pesticide and soil testing facilities in Kashmir, which will assist farmers in improving the quality of their crops.
Pesticide labs will be created in both North and South Kashmir to safeguard farmers from an invasion of counterfeit chemicals that has wreaked havoc on the horticultural industry.
In Pulwama, a soil testing facility will be developed for orchardists in the district and its adjoining areas. “The Kashmir Department of Horticulture recently received a building from the district administration at Dangerpora Pulwama. The Union Territory administration has already allocated funds for it,” Director Horticulture Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, told Excelsior.
He added that the department would soon float tenders for the creation of these facilities. “The buildings for the pesticide labs are already available with us. The labs would be created at a cost of Rs 50 lakh each. Monitoring the usage of bogus pesticides in Kashmir is vital because it is creating havoc on our fruit sector,” he said, adding that labs will assist tackle the menace of fake pesticides at the grassroots level.
Last year, the government announced the establishment of the labs in response to a request from farmers. The labs, however, were waiting for administrative approval.
The lack of labs caused unnecessary delays in reporting because authorities relied on labs from outside the Valley. Growers said the sample reports frequently arrive after the spraying season, leaving the crop exposed to several diseases.
“These labs would ensure fast reporting so that growers could select the highest-grade pesticides and preserve their crop before the spraying season,” said Basit Ahmad, an apple grower.
As per apple farmers, apple-growing business in Kashmir had a huge impact because of the Covid-19 as spurious pesticides entered the market because of less quality checks and most apples were labeled as “Category B” quality the previous year due to stains.
“Ineffective pesticides failed to prevent the spread of scab, which impacted 40% of our harvest last year. Pesticide manufacturers exploited the lockdown last year and delivered inferior chemicals that failed to exterminate the infestation,” growers said.
Growers urged that the Government to regulate the supply chain, claiming that unscrupulous persons sell inadequate insecticides and fertilizers to orchardists. “Hundreds of pesticides and fertilizers from various companies have been accessible in the Valley, with varying names and prices, and opportunists are working around the clock. No one is stopping them from selling the worst chemicals,” a grower, Altaf Ahmed, said, adding that inadequate pesticides are hurting crops and that the government should monitor them.
Every year, between 23 and 24 lakh metric ton of apples are produced. Himachal Pradesh produces over 8 lakh metric ton of apple, followed by Uttarakhand, which produces approximately 4 lakh metric ton.
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