Fake pesticides may cause rejection of soybean

Think tanks of the farm sector on Tuesday came together and urged the government and local administration to take urgent measures to stop propagation of fake pesticides.

They warned that soybean, the major bread earning export yield for farmers in this region, might face rejections in international markets due to fake pesticides, distribution of which might now qualify as organised crime due to its magnitude and abilities to mimic original products.

Dr Amarnath Sharma, Principal Scientist of National Soybean Research Centre, said, "Many farmers think they are prone to being cheated with fake pesticide in this peak season of soybean."

Soybean, which is highly recommended by exporters, will also be at the risk of higher scrutiny and even rejections as importing countries prefer use of legal pesticides only, he added.

He was speaking at a workshop organised by Forum for Indian Journalists on Energy, Environment, Health & Agriculture (Fijeeha) on Farming, Farmers and Challenges of Fake Pesticide.

Dr Jay G Varshney, Former Director, Directorate of Weed Research said, "Illegal herbicides, insecticides or fungicides are now being manufactured stealthily and distributed globally by organised crime for big returns."

Unlike registered products, which undergo rigorous independent testing before being placed on the market, illegal pesticides are neither tested nor suitable for use.

Nothing guarantees that a counterfeit product contains what is described on the label; a reality that can have damaging consequences for crops and human health. Fake pesticides also cause loss to state's exchequer as most spurious pesticide manufacturing and sale operations are conducted without bills and invoices. Fake manufacturers are using similar sounding names of popular brands to cheat farmers which are openly sold in Indore and other districts of MP.

Serious efforts by the Agriculture Department officials under the Insecticides Act, 1968 and Insecticide Rules, 1971 and Legal Metrology Act, 2009 for rigorous sampling at retailer's shops should become a standard practice, Fijeeha president Dr N Anand said.