Raising concern over the use of some banned and restricted pesticides to boost the agricultural produce, the agricultural experts in the city have pushed the panic button and have suggested the government to keep the officials and researchers well informed and dispel the information gap among them.
Some agriculture policy experts wrote a letter to the State Commissioner of Agriculture explaining the information gap about the banned and restricted pesticides that are being sprayed with the help of drone technology in contravention to the orders of the Central Insecticides Board.
Dr.Narasimha Reddy Donthi, an agricultural policy expert, in his letter to the State Commissioner of Agriculture, has explained that “The usage of ‘phorate’ would come into effect from December 2020 while the ban on manufacturing, import and formulation was put in place way back in January 2019 itself. There may not be any iota of stock available if the ban on manufacture has been followed. However, continuing recommendations are quite confusing and the worst example of encouraging black marketing of such pesticides. Therefore, it is important to recoil from such recommendations.”
Explaining that around 18 pesticides have been listed banned with effect from January 2019, he said, “This ban would mean a complete phase-out of manufacture, import, export, and usage. Earlier too some pesticides such as Endosulfan have been banned. Some pesticides such as DDT, Cypermethrin, Monocrotophos, and Glyphosate can be used only in a restricted condition. However, State agricultural Universities and agricultural extension services do not seem to take cognizance of such bans or restrictions.”
“Usually, the farmers are unaware of such changes but it is appalling to note that educated scientists and officers are not aware of such regulations. Whenever a pest attack is reported, he said, the above ‘set of know-how’ are routinely recommending pesticides, without knowing or assessing their efficacy and regulatory status. Such recommendations usually do not work, forcing farmers to rely on their experience, shared through the pesticide shop employees,” he rued
“Unfortunately, farmers are blamed for the failure of pesticides or for using non-recommended pesticides. However, the basic issue lies with the State Agricultural Universities who have stopped doing research on the efficacy of pesticides and doing their jobs routinely, relying on pesticide companies. It is just like Doctors, giving medicines because a pharma company wants to boost its sales,” he explained.
