Pulwama, Mar 04: With the fruit season approaching, orchardists across Kashmir have raised serious concerns over the unchecked sale of substandard and counterfeit pesticides and fertilisers, urging authorities to enforce strict quality control measures before crops are put at risk.
Horticulture, widely regarded as the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, supports lakhs of families directly and indirectly. From apple orchards to cherry, pear, and walnut cultivation, the sector plays a vital role in sustaining rural incomes and contributing significantly to the region’s economy.
However, growers warn that increasing uncertainty due to pests, diseases, and unreliable farm inputs is putting this crucial sector under stress.
Farmers say that with each passing year, new pest attacks and plant diseases are emerging, making orchard management more complex and expensive. The changing nature of these threats has left many growers struggling to adapt.
“Earlier, we had a fair understanding of the common pests and how to control them, but now every season brings a new challenge,” said Abdul Hamid, an orchardist from Pulwama. “Without proper guidance and access to quality pesticides, it becomes extremely difficult to protect our orchards.”
Experts attribute this growing trend to climate change and erratic weather patterns. Unseasonal rainfall, sudden temperature fluctuations, and prolonged dry spells have created favourable conditions for pests and diseases to thrive, often reducing both yield and fruit quality.
Growers allege that the situation is being worsened by the widespread availability of substandard, counterfeit, or improperly labelled pesticides and fertilisers in the market.
Many farmers claim that despite investing heavily in sprays and treatments, they fail to achieve desired results due to poor-quality products. “We spend thousands on sprays every season. If the pesticide turns out to be fake or ineffective, the entire crop is at risk,” said another grower. “There must be strict checking of these products before they reach the market.”
The demand for regulation has gained urgency amid reports of unauthorised and counterfeit agro-chemicals being sold through informal networks and even online platforms.
Industry stakeholders have repeatedly flagged the issue, calling for stronger enforcement and accountability mechanisms.
Agriculture experts warn that the indiscriminate use of unverified pesticides not only harms crops but also poses serious risks to human health, soil fertility, and the broader ecosystem. Weak monitoring and gaps in regulatory enforcement continue to allow unsafe practices to persist, they said.
Fruit growers have urged the horticulture and agriculture departments to take proactive steps, including conducting pre-season quality checks of fertilisers and pesticides, launching a crackdown on counterfeit and unregistered products, and ensuring timely advisories on disease management.
They have called for awareness campaigns to educate farmers about the proper and judicious use of pesticides, along with the promotion of safer and more sustainable alternatives.
“If the government ensures the availability of genuine inputs and provides proper technical guidance, a major part of our problems will be solved,” growers said. “Otherwise, farmers will continue to face losses year after year.”
Experts have called for long-term strategies, such as ensuring disease-free planting material and adopting preventive orchard management practices. Programmes focused on clean planting stock and integrated pest management, they say, can significantly reduce dependence on excessive pesticide use while improving productivity and sustainability—(KNO)
