City-based CNRI Associated NGO’s Tree of Insurance (Canti) on Thursday urged the Andhra Pradesh government to take action against the ongoing fraud in the bio-pesticides business.
Addressing the media, M Srinivasa Reddy, chairman, Canti, said every year Rs 200 crore worth of pesticides was sold in the AP market of which, 50 per cent was from chemical pesticides.
Around 50 unregistered and unlicensed bio-pesticides manufacturers have done a business of Rs 125 crore in the last three years, he said, adding companies were cheating farmers in the name of bio-pesticides.
“The chemicals used in pesticides by such companies stood at around 18 per cent and are sold at Rs 600-1,800 per 100 gm/ml while the actual price varies from Rs 100 to 150. The government should take action and ban all these products, which contains chemical pesticides,” Reddy said.
Guntur, Krishna, Warangal, Chittoor, Nellore and Medak districts are the highest users of chemical pesticides. “We are in the process of spreading awareness among farmers and filing PIL against such companies,” he said.