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| Officials, Supplier nexus in sub standard pesticides, fertilizers proving hazardous | | | Javaid Naikoo
SRINAGAR, Nov 2: Apple plucking and packing season is at its peak in Kashmir but the fruit growers are yelling over the policies of government as 70% of apple production in orchards is turning out as substandard B and C grade. Calling it an official, supplier nexus to supply and allow substandard pesticides and fertilizers in the markets over the years, people of two apple towns of Kashmir, Shopian and Sopore feel that substandard pesticides and natures are responsible for 70 % substandard B and C grade apple production in the orchards, resulting in diminishing demand for apples in the local and national markets. Details received from fruit grower associations from both the places reveal that there is no satisfying demand for apples in local fruit mandies of Shopian or Sopore and neither are fruit merchants of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangluru, Ahmedabad and of other major cities of the country demanding apples from them as used to happen some three years back. The growers believe quality of Shopian and Sopore apples has dwindled from last three years gradually as supply of substandard fertilizers and pesticides in the local markets of Kashmir has increased. According to Mohammad Amin, president fruit growers association Shopian an approximate six hundred eighty crore business of apples in Fruit Mandi Shopian so far this year may seem a satisfying figure for economists but at the same time for a fruit grower who used to sell his box of apple for Rs 900 or more has been getting around Rs 300 per box this year. According to the president fruit growers association Sopore, Fayaz Ahmad, a nexus between officials of the department of Horticulture and pesticide cum fertilizer dealers of Kashmir has turned the life of fruit growers of Sopore area into hell and economic condition of fruit growers has worsened because they cannot fetch the expected money from their annual apple production. "It is worth watching that pesticide cum fertilizer dealers who started their business recently are earning crores annually only because they were allowed to sell substandard fertilizers and pesticides by the concerned officials,"said Fayaz Ahmad. Fruit growers said that the trend of substandard supply of pesticides and fertilizers has alarmingly increased since 2011in Kashmir and despite their protests and formal requests to the concerned authorities many a times, an open nexus of concerned officials and suppliers is deepening with every passing day, besides some schemes "Market intervention scheme" for B and C grade apples were disbanded by the concerned department. Minister for Horticulture Raman Bhalla said that allegations of fruit growers are baseless and a team of scientists headed by the concerned Director in the beginning of this year has found that only changing weather condition and some diseases harmful for apple production are responsible for the diminishing quantity and quality of apples in the Kashmir adding that market intervention scheme was not found worthy for the fruit growers and it was disbanded while as government is looking for some alternative measures in this regard. |
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