JK Admin setting up experts panel to ensure quality spray oils for fruit growers

To check the entry of spurious chemicals in the market, the Jammu and Kashmir administration will soon set up a committee of experts to ensure availability of the best quality tree spray oils for the use of fruit growers.

Secretary Horticulture Manzoor Ahmad Lone directed that only those Horticulture Mineral Oils (HMOs) should be allowed to be sold in the market that comply with the standards set by the Central Insecticide Board (CIB).

"Since horticulture is the backbone of our economy so the quality control mechanism of the department needs to be strengthened further to check the entry of spurious chemicals in the market," Lone said chairing a meeting here.

The meeting, which was convened here on Saturday to discuss the availability of tree spray oils for the upcoming horticulture season, was attended by senior officers of Agriculture and horticulture departments besides representatives of various oil companies including Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.

Stressing on the officials to intervene in making available only quality substances in the market for the use by fruit growers, Lone said a committee of experts would be constituted soon to look into the issues of certification and compliance of rules by the manufacturers of these oils.

He also asked for channelling all the chemicals entering the market through any public sector undertaking for its proper monitoring and better management.

He asked for establishing laboratories at district level for quick and effective monitoring of fertilizers and pesticides.

Last year, around 12 petroleum companies were allowed to do the business of these tree spray oils after taking the Residual Reports and Bio-efficiency tests from the agriculture universities.