FAISALABAD: Divisional Commissioner Madam Silwat Saeed has directed the agriculture officers to expedite crackdown on spurious pesticides and fertilizers.
Presiding over a meeting of divisional agriculture advisory committee on Thursday, she said that agriculture sector played a pivotal role in strengthening national economy. Therefore, provision of quality fertilisers and pesticides to the farming community was imperative to increase its productivity.
She said that spurious pesticides and fertilisers not only cause reduction of crop production but also waste the hard labour of growers in addition to inflicting colossal financial loss on them. Therefore, it was for the first and foremost duty of the agriculture officers to ensure provision of quality fertilizers and pesticides by taking strict action against the manufacturing, sale and storage of spurious and adulterated pesticides and fertilizers.
She said that some mafias also were involved in creating artificial storage of pesticides and fertilizers to mint money. Therefore such elements should also be dealt with an iron hand, she added.
She also directed the agriculture officers to adopt zero tolerance policy against profiteering and illegal hoarding of fertilizers and pesticides so that farmers could purchase these commodities at appropriate fixed rates.
She also took briefing about the performance of agriculture department and directed the field staff to strengthen their liaison with the farming community for redressing their problems without any delay.
Director Agriculture Chaudhary Abdul Hameed apprised the divisional commissioner about recent situation of cotton crop across the division.