Punjab bans sale of nine agro-chemicals to protect paddy crop quality

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered a ban on the sale and use of nine agro-chemicals in order "to protect the quality of paddy crop quality and boost the export of Basmati rice".

"Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered a ban on the sale and use of nine agro-chemicals after the Agriculture Department found these were still being used by farmers despite being detrimental to the quality of paddy. The ban is aimed at protecting the paddy quality, which is critical to its export and remunerative pricing in the international market," read a statement from the Chief Minister's office.

Singh approved the ban of acephate, triazophos, thiamethoxam, carbendazim, tricyclazole, buprofezin, carbofuron, propiconazole and thiophinate methyl, under Section 27 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, Secretary Agriculture KS Pannu said these agro-chemicals were non-conducive to the farmers' interest, besides resulting in degradation of quality, and also posed a risk of higher pesticide residues in rice grain than the maximum residual level (MRL) fixed by the government.

( With inputs from ANI )