Chandigarh, Nov 1 (PTI) The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in Punjab has constituted five flying squads to ensure seamless and equitable availability of DAP and other fertilisers, quality seeds and pesticides for the Rabi season.
According to Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, these teams will monitor supplies, maintain standards and ensure quality control through regular checking and sampling.
The flying squads will also conduct raids to check illegal hoarding and black marketing of fertilisers.
Khudian said in a statement that the flying squads will visit retail and wholesale dealers, as well as manufacturing and marketing units of seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to monitor the rates at which they are sold to the farmers.
Sharing data of the quality control drive undertaken by the agriculture department from April 1 to October 31, Khudian said the department has collected as many as 2,063 samples of pesticides, resulting in the cancellation of 43 licences for misbranding and registration of three FIRs.
Additionally, 1,751 samples of chemical fertilisers, 100 samples of biofertilisers and 40 samples of organic manures have been taken, according to the statement.
Reiterating the state government’s commitment to the welfare of the farmers, Khudian said each flying squad has been assigned four to five districts to closely monitor the sale and supply of seeds, pesticides and fertilisers to protect the farmers’ interests.
They will also monitor the demand and supply of these agricultural inputs, he added. PTI SUN ARI
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