Spurious pesticides worry HP apple growers
A month ahead of the apple harvesting season, farmers in the state are worried due to availability of spurious chemicals in the market.
At time when the apple crop is in its walnut stage and farmers are spraying nutrients and pesticide to protect the crop, spurious chemicals figure among the biggest worry of farmers. Claiming to provide nutrients to the crop, several type of chemicals are available in the market. “We can not make out what is original. The government should streamline flow of such chemicals,” Arvind Mehta, an apple grower from Kotgarh, said.
The market has been flooded by fake insecticides and pesticides, some of which is being used by farmers.
“Farmers are using some supplements to ensure quality produce but the chemicals can’t be trusted,” Surjeet Singh Chauhan, an apple grower from Kotkhai, said.
In the absence of a mechanism to check the flood of fake chemicals, several companies are now visiting farmers and promising good results if their products are used.
“Farmers want better fruit quality and also that it looks beautiful and good in colour. So, they u. se chemicals,” SP Bhardwaj, a horticulture expert said. Farmers are initiating various steps to ensure quality apple produce and are using various types of supplements.
“For the last four to five years, chemicals with different names are available and farmers have been using it,” Kunal Chauhan, a fruit grower said. “In some areas, the crop failed after the chemicals were sprayed,” he further rued.
Last year, growers complained about the ineffectiveness of chemical used to mitigate the mite problem. “Not only this, chemicals sprayed to ensure better fruit did not yield good results in some parts of Shimla and Kullu district,” a senior horticulture department official said, requesting anonymity.
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The government, however, is claiming that it has been strict in order to ensure a curb on fake chemicals. “The licensing process has been made tougher and the government is keeping eye on pesticides, nutrients and other supplements,” horticulture director HS Baweja said.