Directive to stop sale of spurious pesticides

LAHORE: Agriculture Department officials have been directed to stop sale of spurious pesticides and fertilizer.

Muhammad Mahmood, Punjab Agriculture Secretary, said here on Sunday that farmers across Punjab have reservations about quality of some available spurious pesticides. These pesticides are one of the major factors for declining agriculture productivity. Insects and pests that attack on crops get stronger if these pesticides use against them. These pesticides are ineffective against major pests and diseases.

He said an extensive campaign against adulterated and spurious pesticides since September 2016 has been launched by agriculture department and worth of many million rupees adulterated pesticides banned until now. During this campaign, Assistant Director, Pest Warning, district Sahiwal was informed and he raided along with police team a factory located in an area of a biscuit factory. Factory workers were busy pasting fake labelling on expired adulterated pesticides. The factory was running with a name of Agri Farm Services. Assistant Director and police team confiscated worth of million rupees adulterated pesticides from there. Store in-charge Abdul Waqar and two other workers Muhammad Tanvir and Muhammad Shahid were arrested. FIR has been launched under section 23(a), 21 A as per Agriculture Pesticides Ordinance 1971 amended in 1997 under Act of Pakistan 1973.

A spokesman of Agriculture, Punjab, has said that adulterated pesticides business is major source of declining agriculture productivity and people who are involved in it, will see themselves in hot water.