Shopian: In absence of enough laboratories for quality check of pesticides in Kashmir, while the two laboratories announced by the government last year are nowhere in sight, fruit growers are sceptical of the recent initiatives taken by the government to curb the sale of spurious pesticides in the region.
Several fruit growers here in Shopian told Kashmir Reader that when the authorities collect samples to check quality of pesticides, the test reports come so late from laboratories outside Kashmir that the pesticide spraying season is almost at its end and the pesticides have already been sold in large quantities.
According to apple growers, more than 60 percent of the crop was affected by diseases last year, and there was 30 percent decline in production. They blamed the unchecked sale of sub-standard pesticides, due to the “callous attitude of authorities”, that allowed the diseases to spread.
After a huge public outcry over spurious fungicides and pesticides in the market, Principal Secretary, Horticulture department, Navin Kumar Choudhary announced setting up of two pesticide-testing laboratories in Kashmir, one in south Kashmir and another in north Kashmir. However, both these laboratories are yet to be set up.
Days after the official announcement last year, the local pesticides dealers association called on the Director Horticulture to inform that only 20 chemical elements were being tested in Kashmir, against the norm of 60 elements. This was also revealed by the Director Horticulture in a statement later. Also, the dealers association demanded that the reports from laboratories be made public by the start of the spraying season, for right now the reports were arriving towards the end of the season.
Fruit growers say that the entry of pesticides and fungicides in Kashmir should only be allowed after a proper quality check, rather than when the product is already in the market.
“While the reports take their time, the pesticides have already caused their damage,” said Muhammad Ishtiaq, a fruit grower who has around 35 kanals of horticulture land. He said that 60 percent of his crop was affected by diseases last year, causing losses of tens of lakhs of rupees to him.
According to official figures, Kashmir is the biggest apple-producing region of India. It produces 23 to 24 lakh metric tonnes of apple every year. It is followed by Himachal Pradesh which produces about 8 lakh metric tonnes of apple, while Uttarakhand is at third position with about 4 lakh metric tonnes of apple production.
Deputy Director, Law and Enforcement, in Agriculture Department Kashmir, Mohammed Younus Choudhary told Kashmir Reader that this year, reports from the Srinagar laboratory will be given out within seven days, instead of 28 days as in the past.
“The molecules which we check here, their reports come in seven days. But for those which we send to Faridabad (laboratory), it takes time,” he said.
He also said that this year the tests are being done in time with the spraying season schedule. “Those molecules which are first used in the spray schedule are being checked first, and those which are meant for later in the season will be tested at that time,” he said, while assuring strict action against the law violators.
Choudhary feigned ignorance about the official promise of setting up two laboratories in Kashmir. “I will talk with my director in this regard,” he said.
In the past ten days, the government has been conducting a drive to check the quality of pesticides and to punish the sellers of spurious pesticides. Dozens of warehouses and shops have been sealed and some products have been declared as misbranded by the authorities, steps which are being widely appreciated by fruit growers.

Raashid Hassan