Pesticide dealers on radar over spraying deaths

Nagpur: Days after deaths of 31 farmers and farm hands due to spraying of pesticides were reported across Vidarbha, state agriculture department has sprung into action. It has warned pesticide sellers and dealers selling pesticides like Profex Super — meant for use on sugar cane — to farmers for use on cotton. The department warned them of cancellation licence and police action.

The dealers are expected to have prior permission for each pesticide they sell. They are not expected to suggest use of a cocktail of pesticides along with growth enhancers that led to much taller plants this year resulting in pesticides returning on the face of sprayer.

State agriculture commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh told TOI officials were stationed in Yavatmal for the last three days and were sampling pesticides from across the district and sending them for testing. "We are also trying to ascertain why the dealers were selling pesticides for less than MRP. How can someone sell at less than MRP? This hints at mala fide interest on part of the dealers. The department will crack the whip on such unscrupulous dealers," he said.

Subhash Jadhav, director extension from Pune who is supervising the sampling process at Yavatmal, said dealers must register with the agriculture department and have the company's certification, failing which they will be taken to task. "They are selling Profex Super — a combination of profenofos and cypermethrin — for cotton whereas it is recommended for sugar cane crop. It is learnt the dealers also sold growth enhancers to farmers and reportedly told them to mix it with the pesticide spray and this increased the plant height," said Jadhav.

Singh said the government was also trying to educate the farmers by setting up agriculture counselling centres like the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at village level where agriculture graduates will be posted to guide the farmers and farm labourers about proper selection of pesticide and its use. Dealers will be asked to sell pesticide based only on prescriptions to rule out any ambiguity about composition of the chemical. "Farmers must get the right and generic formulations through these counsellors. Farmers also should have right to choice," said Singh.

Though state agriculture extension department was doing the job of issuing crop-wise advisory earlier also, now the extension officials will ensure this included pesticide related advisory too. "Information from research centres, agriculture universities will be provided to farmers through the department," said Singh.