HimVani
Mandi: An inordinate delay in the supply of fertilizers to Himachal Pradesh by IFFCO and HIMFED till the end of the sowing season has opened the flood gates for supply of spurious chemical fertilizers as farmers had been making panic purchases from other states.
The situation was highlighted when 33 bags of chemical fertilizer were seized during a joint raid conducted by police and the department of agriculture at a shop here on June 19. The fertilizer was being sold to farmers illegally as the seller did not have the requisite license. The samples of the confiscated fertilizers when sent to a laboratory for testing were found unfit and adulterated. The state government by a notification had declared chemical fertilizers as essential commodity.
On further investigation more startling facts came to light when notices sent to the so-called Hind Fertilizer and Chemical Industries Pvt Ltd returned undelivered with a note that no such company existed despite the fact that the name of the company had been prominently printed on the bags of spurious fertilizer. What is more intriguing is that the bags managed to reached Mandi, a distance of 250 km from Ambala, crossing barriers including those of excise and taxation department.
In Himachal Pradesh only IFFCO and HIMFED are authorized to sell chemical fertilizers on subsidized rates. A central subsidy of Rs 900 per tone being given to farmers was reduced to mere Rs 300 per tone. This caused delay and ultimate loss to farmers.
The primary reason for farmers getting ditched and cheated at the hands of unscrupulous element, allegedly from Haryana, is said to be non-supply of fertilizers by authorized agencies well in time resulting in panic purchase of fertilizers. It is doubted if the prosecuting agencies of the state government would be able to lay hands on the accused persons of another state, who have cunningly manipulated to cheat farmers in Himachal Pradesh.
This is a serious issue. Who knows, how much of this unsafe fertiliser has already been used? Farmers should be given all the help they need to produce quality produce. After all, our health depends on them!
This is a serious issue. Who knows, how much of this unsafe fertiliser has already been used? Farmers should be given all the help they need to produce quality produce. After all, our health depends on them!
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