Punjab Govt. Bans sale and use of 9 Agro-chemicals

Punjab government on August 14 ordered a ban on the sale and use of nine agro-chemicals after the agriculture department found these pesticides were still being used by farmers despite being detrimental to the quality of rice.

The ban is aimed at protecting the paddy's quality, which is critical for its export and remunerative pricing in the international market and also aims for protecting the paddy quality, which is critical to its export and remunerative pricing within the international market, says an official statement.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who also holds the agriculture portfolio, has ordered the ban of Acephate, Triazophos, Thiamethoxam, Carbendazim, Tricyclazole, Buprofezin, Carbofuron, Propiconazole and Thiophinate Methyl, under Section 27 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 with immediate effect.

Singh has asked agriculture secretary Kahan Singh Pannu to issue detailed guidelines to the director agriculture to ensure strict enforcement of the ban, issued after state government laboratories conducted sample testing.

Further K.S. Pannu also said these agrochemicals were non-conducive to the farmers’ interest, besides resulting in degradation of quality. 

They also posed a risk of upper pesticide residues in rice grain than the utmost Residual Level (MRL) fixed by the govt. 

The Agriculture Department has launched an intensive campaign over the past two years to sensitize the farmers & pesticide dealers about the impact of hazards of the use of such chemicals on human beings. Even the Punjab Rice Millers & Exporters Association had reported that several samples contain the residue value of these pesticides, much above the prescribed MRL values in Basmati Rice, Punjab Agriculture Secretary said.