Following the deaths of farmers in Vidarbha’s Yavatmal district due to pesticides last year, the State Agriculture Department will bring in a policy to allow the sale of only registered and recommended pesticides as per the crop patterns of the region.
The department has appealed to farmers to purchase only these pesticides.
Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar said, “Farmers and farm labourers died due to the use of poisonous pesticides. It is important to save lives of farm workers. The Agriculture Department has alsoundertaken a public awareness programme for the same.”
Licences for production, storage, exhibition and sale of pesticides are issued under the Insecticides Act, 1968, and Insecticides Rules, 1971. The Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee issues the licences, and prescribes pesticides.
An Agriculture Department official said, “The State government and experts studied the farmers’ deaths and found that the pesticides used were unregistered and had not been recommended for use. The dosage used was also much more than the prescribed amount. It was also found that a mixture of more than two pesticides had been used and were available for sale.”
Officials said these pesticides have also created environmental problems. “Since the policy is currently under preparation, we have asked officials to submit citizens’ suggestions and objections.”
