ISLAMABAD: Research at the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) in Faisalabad has proved that three to four per cent of pesticides and fertilisers being marketed in Punjab are found to be unfit for the crops being cultivated in the province.

       This was disclosed by Chief Scientist and Director General of AARI Dr Mohammad Akhtar while briefing Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhr Imam who presided over a performance review meeting at the Institute on Wednesday.

       A senior environment scientist of the institute told Dawn that the application of unfit pesticides and fertilisers will definitely have impact on the crops. He said AARI had been analysing the fitness of pesticides and fertilisers for crops in Punjab for a long time, and samples gathered by it from market show the problem, though curtailed, still persists.

       This is despite the fact that the manufacturers of pesticides and fertiliser companies have their own standards to check the fitness of their products, he said.

       Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2022