RAMBAN: In line with the directives of the Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department (APD), J&K, a comprehensive inspection drive was conducted across various Seed, Pesticide, and Fertilizer Centers in district Ramban to ensure the availability of quality agricultural inputs to farmers and to curb the sale of spurious or sub-standard material.
The inspections were led by Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Dr. Vinay Kumar Jandial, accompanied by District Agriculture Officer, Kuldeep Bassan and the Enforcement Inspector.
During the inspection, the team thoroughly checked the licenses of dealers; stock registers, billing records, expiry dates, and quality standards of seeds, pesticides and fertilizers. Compliance with the Insecticides Act and Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) was also reviewed. Action as per rules was taken against the defaulters where discrepancies were found.
The CAO stressed that malpractice in the sale of agricultural inputs will not be tolerated. “Strict legal measures will be taken to safeguard the interests of the farming community” he said. He emphasized that quality agricultural inputs are the backbone of successful farming and assured that the department will continue regular monitoring across all sub-divisions of the District.
He also appealed to farmers to purchase seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides only from authorized dealers with a proper bill/receipt.
The Agriculture Production Department will continue to promote transparency, protect farmers’ interests and support sustainable agricultural growth in Ramban district, he added.
