JAMMU, JANUARY 09: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo today chaired a meeting to discuss the permission and availability of petroleum derived spray oils in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Secretary in APD, Director Agriculture Jammu/Kashmir, Director Horticulture Jammu/Kashmir, Director Research Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir(SKUAST-K), Managing Director JKHPMC, Director Law Enforcement, representatives of concerned oil companies, and other concerned attended the meeting in person and through virtual mode. While reviewing supply and availability of pesticides and insecticides for the upcoming Horticulture and Agriculture season in the UT, the ACS asked all the stakeholders to follow all the prescribed guidelines of Central Insecticide Act. Reviewing registration of tree spray oil/ horticulture mineral oil or TSO/HMO companies with Central Insecticide Board (CIB), Dulloo said that all the suppliers, registered with the Board, have to comply with all quality parameters before supplying the pesticide or insecticide to J&K. He also instructed the Director Research SKUAST-Kashmir to issue notification with regard to the utility of TSO/HMO while taking up random sampling of supplied insecticides and pesticides from the market to check their quality. He also asked the concerned to finalize the rate structure of CIB approved products with neighbouring States of India so that farmers of the UT are not overcharged while buying these petroleum derived spray oils. The ACS also asked the representatives of various companies to register themselves with the CIB for the supply of their product in J&K and also directed the Director Law Enforcement for ensuring supply of only standard insecticides and pesticides in J&K. Besides, the meeting also discussed the role of JKHPMC for importing standard TSO/HMO products in crisis situation, and submission of weekly report of supply/availability by the controller of insecticides.
