The influx of fake chemicals is harming people and the rural economy
ISLAMABAD: It is a great tragedy that fake products and documents have made their way into all domains and disciplines. Everything ranging from edible goods to pharma products is found to be fake.
I wish to warn readers about the proliferation of fake fertilizers, unhealthy seeds, fake pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, among other agri-inputs, in out country. These pose a great danger to the fertility of the soil, the environment, agricultural production, health of the growers and agri-product users in the province of Sindh. Numerous crops are potentially damaged or destroyed throughout the province because of these cheap counterfeit substances used, coupled with severe shortage of water.
The influx of fake chemicals is harming people and the rural economy. Farmers in the province put their livelihoods in jeopardy if they buy something that is not the legitimate product. But who cares in the land of the pure to purify the impure? We must penalise such manufacturers and their dealers while raising awareness about the fake chemicals and the hazards they pose.
Strict legislation and regulation is essential to award exemplary punishment to the wrongdoers who pose a grave threat to nature, economy and humanity at the same time.
Hashim Abro
Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2017.
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