Even as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government puts pressure on the Centre to ban the use of Endosulfan in the country, the State government's Farm Information Bureau's Farm Guide advocates the use of the pesticide for paddy and coconut, two of the State's most widely cultivated crops.
The Farm Guide is provided to agriculture officers and Krishi Bhavans across the State. The FIB claims that the ‘prestigious annual publication' is an ‘authentic and ready reference to the agriculture scenario in the State.' This year also, Endosulfan does not find a place on the list of pesticides withdrawn in the State.
The guide, which details control measures for crop pests, particularly the rice-swarming caterpillar (army worm), advices application of Endosulfan among other pesticides as soon as the caterpillar is noticed in paddy. The insecticide control section for coconut farmers endorses the use of Endosulfan for tackling the ‘coreid bug'. For the coreid bug, only two options are suggested, Carbaryl and Endosulfan. Farmers have been asked to “apply Endosulfan suspension on the newly opened inflorescence after the receptive phase of the female flower and spray the entire crown excluding the leaves and older bunches.”
Interestingly, Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran had issued orders on Sunday to suspend an agriculture officer in Ramankary, near here, after it was brought to light by a television channel that the officer had knowingly or unknowingly pasted posters of integrated pest management which propagates the use of Endosulfan, in the Krishi Bhavan. However, awareness boards put up at the Krishi Bhavan carry the same message on use of Endosulfan.
