The Punjab Agriculture Department has confiscated fake pesticides worth over Rs 13.2 million

The Punjab Agriculture Department has confiscated fake pesticides worth over Rs 13.2 million from Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sahiwal Division during a campaign against fake agricultural inputs. This was disclosed by Additional Secretary (Task Force) Punjab Agriculture Department Bilal Ahmad Butt while speaking at a meeting convened to review the efforts against fake pesticides. The meeting was held in the Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan said a spokesman of the department here on Thursday. Director Pest Warning Malik Fayyaz Ahmad while briefing the meeting said that the department collected 3937 samples of pesticides during the campaign from these four divisions of which 96 samples were found substandard and 138 cases were registered. Additional Secretary Task Force directed the pesticide inspectors to make the campaign more effective and collect samples from each dealer besides collecting samples on the basis of intelligence reports. He said that samples should be collected from every importer and distributor without any discrimination and sent to the laboratories for analysis. He disclosed that the Punjab government was taking steps to increase the laboratories for analysis of pesticides to ensure provision of quality products to the growers. The meeting was also attended by Director Central Cotton Research Institute Bagh Muhammad, Director Pest Warning Multan and pesticide inspectors of the above mentioned four divisions