Due to the plentiful orchards and extensive fertile fields in Kashmir Valley, a very productive agrarian economy existed for hundreds and thousands of farmers. However, today the unregulated application and selling of low-quality pesticides has emerged as the greatest threat to agriculture and public health of the general population.
The continued unabated distribution of fake and low-quality pesticides is jeopardizing the yield of croplands, infecting the health of soils and endangering consumers in the valley.
There needs to be a regulatory overhaul and enforcement of policies to save the farming community of Kashmir from this growing threat. Kashmir is highly dependent on pesticides when it comes to growing apples, saffron, and all other growing activities, as far as pest-control is concerned.
This leads to money-grabbers taking advantage of the situation knowing that the people must rely on them. They sell fake or adulterated pesticides and the low-quality chemicals do not control pests, but instead bring down productivity and lower productivity in the crop, thus leading to a loss of money. This creates pollution and soil and water pollution, which has impacts on the long-term viability of agriculture.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and has taken some steps to address it, such as raids and seizures carried out by the agriculture department of counterfeit pesticides, an educational awareness initiative for farmers to familiarize them with genuine products, and reinforcement of the insecticides act.
Many of those programs may be ‘reasonable’ for addressing the issue but remain insufficient. Furthermore, many farmers, especially those in remote locations, are still vulnerable to fraud due to inadequate testing capabilities and slow response times for infringers.
The government should respond to this situation with a multi-faceted approach, primarily rigid enforcement, and stiff fines as punishment and additional penalties.
Markets should require intensified routine inspections. Mobile testing labs and helplines should be established quickly to help farmers test pesticide quality on-site. Universities and research institutions should be engaged to monitor the quality of pesticides and suggest safe alternatives.
