PUNJAB CRACKS DOWN ON FERTILISER HOARDING; FIVE FLYING SQUAD TEAMS TO ENSURE EQUITABLE AVAILABILITY OF DAP, OTHER FERTILISERS

* Teams will conduct raids to check illegal hoarding, black marketing of fertilisers & tagging of chemicals with DAP, says Gurmeet Singh Khudian

* Ongoing quality control drive by Agriculture dept results in cancellation of 91 licences due to misbranding

Chandigarh, November 1:

In an initiative aimed to protecting farmers from financial exploitation and help them achieve better yields, the Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has constituted five flying squad teams to ensure the seamless and equitable availability of DAP and other fertilizers, quality seeds and pesticides for the Rabi season.

According to Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, these teams will conduct raids to check illegal hoarding, black marketing of fertilisers and tagging of unnecessary chemicals with DAP and other fertilisers. These teams will also monitor supplies, maintain standards and ensure quality control through regular checking and sampling, he added.

He further informed that these flying squads will visit retail and wholesale dealers, as well as manufacturing and marketing units of seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to monitor the rates at which these products are being sold to farmers.

Sharing a data of quality control drive undertaken by the Agriculture department from 1st April to 31st October, 2024, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian stated that the department has collected as many as 2,063 samples of pesticides, resulting in the cancellation of 43 licenses due to misbranding. Additionally, 1,751 samples of chemical fertilizers, 100 samples of biofertilizers and 40 samples of organic manures have been taken. In response to the misbranded samples, licences for 48 firms have been cancelled, and three FIRs have been registered, he added.

Reiterating the commitment of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government to the welfare of farmers in the state, he said that each team has been assigned four to five districts to closely monitor the sale and supply of seeds, pesticides and fertilisers to protect farmers’ interests. They will also monitor the demand and supply of these agricultural inputs for farmers. He firmly stated that no one will be allowed to exploit farmers, and strict legal action will be taken against those found indulged in illegal practices.