Indian Farmers’ Org. Lists Companies Selling Sub-Standard Pesticides
6 April 2009 Out of 26 pesticide companies tested by Indian farmers’ organization Bharat Krishak Samaj, 20 were found to be selling sub-standard pesticides and insecticides to farmers, reports The Economic Times. The organization’s president, Dr. Krishna Bir Chaudhary, announced in an April 6 press conference: “We collected samples of 26 branded pesticides and got them tested at the NABL Accredited Government Laboratory of the Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology and found that 20 of the 26 samples failed. Some of samples tested shockingly contained only about 1/10th of the chemical ‘Phorate,’ which is used to control grubs in sugarcane, paddy, wheat and potato, and other vegetable crops. This negligible chemical content has caused huge losses to the farmers.” Other pesticides/insecticides/herbicides included Isoproturon, 2-4D Sodium Salt 80% and Ethyl Ester 38%. These also contained less amount of protective chemicals needed for crop protection.
The loss to the farmers on account of using the sub-standard pesticides and insecticides is likely to be almost US $5 billion.
Even big reputed companies were found to be sub-standard and not meeting the requisite norms, as samples of some of their products failed in the laboratory tests, according to Bharatiya Krishak Samaj.
The six tested companies which passed are:
- Umet of United Phosphorus Limited Vapi
- Safaya of Devi Dayal Sales Limited, Mumbai
- Anu of Anu Products Limited Faridabad
- Kilharb of Tropical Agro Systems Limited, Ghaziabad
- Weedmar of Dhanuka Agritech Limited Gurgaon
- Cut-off of Jai Shree Rasayan Udyog Sonepat
Chaudhary personally appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture in January and pleaded for strict action against companies involved in the sale of sub-standard pesticides. He also called for action against the pesticides inspectors and state laboratory analysts who actively colaborate with these companies and help them in selling sub-standard material, cheating the farmers.
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