Srinagar, Jan 01: Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhary Muhammad Iqbal along with concerned officials on Monday seized 220 bags of sub-standard fertilizers in Apple town Sopore during a surprise inspection. The Director Agriculture Kashmir along with officers of the department inspected various dealers and seized duplicate fertilizers at Saidapora, Sopore.
“We have seized 220 bags of sub-standard fertilizer using IPL bags. We were following a truck carrying the sub-standard (duplicate) fertilizer that was on its way to Kashmir from Rajasthan. We were continuously tracing the truck and we seized the fertilizer in Sopore during unloading. We wanted to see where it would go and follow the chain,” he said.
Following the seizure the Agriculture Department initiated legal action in this regard against the erring shopkeeper. “We are on it. The inspections are being conducted across different districts in Kashmir to disallow sale and marketing of sub-standard,” he said.
Later, the director also initiated a comprehensive market checking of pesticide/fertilizer shops at Sopore to safeguard farmers’ interest.
The director said that the department is focussed that they would not tolerate and allow any kind of sub-standard fertilizers to the valley and they have issued strict instructions.
“The department of agriculture is committed to cease the marketing/availability of sub-standard and spurious pesticides and insecticides. In this regard, we have strengthened our law enforcement wing while regular market checks are carried out,” he said.
Iqbal said the spurious fertilizers are damaging the agriculture and horticulture industry and appealed to the farmers to purchase fertilizers with due consultation from experts.
Officials in the enforcement wing said that the department has instructed enforcement officers of all the districts to review the overall working of the law enforcement agency.
