Pesticides banned from use on basmati crop to go off shelves

WHAT IS ALLOWED

CHANDIGARH : Amid fears of rejection of the exported grain in the international market, the Punjab agriculture department has asked the sellers of pesticides and fungicides to take at least nine formulations banned from use on the premium basmati crop off the shelves.

The department officials have started conducting surprise checks on such stores, particularly in rural areas of the state.

The department has said tests will be conducted immediately after the harvest and if residues are found in a crop, the dealers having sold pesticides to the farmers will be taken to account. “They may face a jail term of up to three years,” read the department’s instructions.

State agriculture secretary KS Pannu has asked the staff concerned to conduct awareness drives, hold meetings with pesticides

Insecticide: Chlorantraniliprole, fipronil, cartap hydrochloride

Pesticide: Flubendiamide, chloropharyphous Fungicide: Indofil, copper hydroxide

WHAT IS BANNED Fungicide: Thiophanate methyl, tricyclazole, propiconazole, carbendazim Insecticide: Acephate, triazophos, thiamethoxam, buprofezin

Pesticide: Carbofuran

dealers at the block and district level to apprise them about the government decision.

Besides, the department has advised the farmers to stay away from excessive use of urea.

It should not be more than 36 kilogram per acre for the 1,121 and 1,718 varieties of basmati and 54 kilogram per acre for the 1,509 variety, the advisory says. These are much sought-after varieties of the premium rice in the national and the international market.

TRACES STILL FOUND

A government notification issued on August 14 says the banned chemicals are still being used in the paddy crop. This was evident from the fact that the Punjab State Food and Drugs Laboratory, Kharar, indicated that of 51 samples of rice it tested, nine contained residues of these chemicals above the accepted limit. Also, the Punjab Biotechnology Incubator, Mohali, in its report submitted that seven samples of rice contained pesticide residue above the accepted limit. In 2018, basmati consignments from Punjab were rejected by importing countries after which the exporters’ association and the state agriculture department launched campaign against use of agrochemicals.