Expired pesticides worth lakhs seized from north Kashmir dealer

BARAMULLA — In a bid to provide genuine pesticides and quality agriculture-inputs to the farmers in north Kashmir, the law enforcement team from Baramulla has launched a special drive to undertake vigorous inspection of pesticide and fertilizer shops over the past week to prevent sale of spurious agri-inputs.

Sources said that the team recovered expired pesticides worth lakhs of rupees from a dealer in Goshbugh Pattan area of Baramulla.

“M/S Yatoo Pesticides at Goshbugh Pattan was raided and expired pesticides worth lakhs of rupees were recovered from the dealer,” said an official, adding that an FIR was lodged against the dealer at police station Pattan.

Law enforcement Inspector Baramulla, Firdous Ahmed and law enforcement officer, Department of Agriculture, Syed Jeelani were part of the team that inspected the quality of insecticides in different areas of the district.

The official said that 7 items in large quantities were seized and they were all expired. “The expired stock that was seized amounts to Rs 30 lakhs,” he said, adding that the checking of pesticide shops would continue till the massive drive against unscrupulous dealers reaches its logical end as the sole aim of this move was to prevent them from selling or supplying spurious pesticides in Kashmir Valley.

The official said that some of the expired pesticide brands include Starbor, Sway, Relay 101, Boom and Sylit and others.