Plant Protection Directorate needs to strengthen further:Singh

Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage needs to strengthen efforts so that it can play vital role in raising the agriculture output, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today.
Singh, also inaugurated a hostel for farmers who come for training at the Faridabad based Directorate, Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.
Officials of the Directorate updated the Minister about increase in the registration of insecticides in last 18 months to 51,594 compared with 21,741 during the four years period of previous government.
They also shared with Singh that the Directorate played a key role in assuring that the European Union lifts ban on import of Indian mangoes, the statement added.

The Directorate's major thrust areas are plant protection, promotion of Integrated Pest management, ensuring availability of safe and quality pesticides for sustaining crop production among others.