Shimla (HP): As the central government plans to ban 27 widely used pesticides for having dangerous effects on human as well as animal lives, farmers in Himachal Pradesh fear loss of income and productivity while demanding sufficient alternatives before imposing the ban.
"Organic farming will reduce our productivity. How will we control plant diseases such as apple scab which is prevalent in both Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh this year," Dimple Panjata, a gardener told ETV Bharat.
Echoing Panjata's concerns, Prem Sharma, an apple farmer from Himachal Pradesh, said, "If the government decides to ban them (pesticides), then it is important for them to provide the farmers and gardeners with an alternative, otherwise they will be devastated."
Dismissing the concerns of the farmers, Madan Mohan Sharma, Director, Horticulture Department of Himachal Pradesh stressed that the farmers and gardeners are provided with an ample number of alternatives to choose from.
Read: Pesticides ban: Govt should provide alternative solutions for farmers and seed industry
"I would like to say that the government's decision won't affect a lot of people as the government provides four alternatives or options under the spray schedule for a single season. We provide a list of four insecticides or pesticides to choose from. Hence, even if one of these gets banned we have three alternatives. We have sufficient options, " said Sharma.
