Haryana increases insecticide and fertiliser inspectors

Chandigarh, Mar 31 (UNI) To strengthen quality control mechanism, the Haryana Agriculture Department has increased the number of insecticide inspectors from 102 to 323 and those of fertiliser inspectors from 82 to 185.

While stating this here today, Agriculture Director Sumita Mishra said that as many as 3359 samples of seeds, 2113 of fertilisers and 1519 of pesticides were taken upto February 2007-08 as compared to 2631, 2278 and 1397 respectively during the whole year 2006-07.

Out of the total samples taken, as many as 102 samples of seeds, 36 of fertilisers and 90 of pesticides were found sub-standard or misbranded.

She said that in cases where the samples had not been found up to the prescribed standards, appropriate action was being taken as per the rules.

She pointed out that due to efforts made by the quality enforcement machinery and extension wing of the department, during the current rabi season there had been hardly any instance of any damage to the rabi crops due to use of spurious or sub-standard agrochemicals.

All the 49 insecticide manufacturing units located in the state were inspected periodically to ensure that they were well equipped with the minimum required infrastructure and manufactured good quality insecticides, she added.

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