Mir Iqbal
SRINAGAR, May 10: Panic has gripped orchadists in South Kashmir following the spread of scab disease on apple due to the use of sub-standard pesticides and sprays, recommended by the Horticulture Department.
Worried orchadists in Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam districts blame the Government for its failure to check the quality of sprays, pesticides and fertilizers.
“The scab disease spread in the early flowering period in apple trees due to low quality sprays recommended by the Horticulture Department. It can be devastating for our fruit economy this season,” said Fayaz Ahmad Malik, an orchardist from Shopian.
Malik said his apple orchards contacted scab disease despite four sprays, suggested by Horticulture Department, upto flowering period.
The orchardists alleged the officials have a nexus with sub-standard pesticides dealers in the market.
“From last few years scores of un-registered pesticides and fertilizers have ruined thousands of apple bearing trees and also damaged the quality of this cash crop,” they said.
Another orchadist from Pulwama, Abdul Rashid Wagay, said that the disease engulfed his apple crop even though he has attended informative programmes held by the department over use of sprays.
They alleged that the failure of controlling the scab disease despite advanced improvement in horticulture sector was due to the absence of strong mechanism to monitor the supply of sprays in markets.
They accused the Horticulture Department for not changing its spray schedule since 1988 despite having a full-fledged Agriculture University in Kashmir Division.
The growers alleged that independent marketing of pesticides by “dubious” companies raises question mark towards the functioning of Government.
“Despite State Government’s blanket ban on the sale of orchard spray oil through dealers to the horticulturists from this year, some dealers managed to sell the unregistered spray oils,” they said.
Sources told Excelsior that in the month of March Law Enforcement Inspector, for district Pulwama and Shopian had seized atleast 23 lakh liters of spray oil from different stores in the twin districts, but that was released without any quality testing after Government pressure over the enforcement wing of Agriculture Department.
A top official of Horticulture Department wishing anonymity said in absence of testing laboratory in the area, chances of flow in sub-standard sprays remain high and vested interests misuse the helplessness of farmers.
Jammu and Kashmir Kisan Tehreek (JKKT) General Secretary, Ghulam Nabi Malik, has demanded the Government conduct a survey of the horticulture sector in the Valley to assess the damaged caused due to the scab disease.
He also said that in its various recommendations, the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (SKUAST) Shalimar had prescribed various fungicides but unfortunately these prescribed fungicides are not available to farmers in the market.
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