Nagpur: The failure of the state agriculture department in taking good agricultural practices to fields has resulted in farmers developing blind faith in pesticide and seed dealers.

Farmers consider the pesticide dealers and representatives of seed companies as their best guides as nobody else has approached them to share knowledge about either farming technology or selecting crop variety or pesticides.

Farmers says that, they have to trust the dealers and the company representatives because they have no other option. According to them, no one from the state agriculture department has ever come to them but almost all big companies approach us at least 2-3 times a year to demonstrate their products.

They also think that, like a pharmacist who know the components of medicines and their effects, a dealer too has knowledge of pesticides. Pesticide companies guide them about the use of different chemicals and after that the knowledge is then passed on to the farm labourers.

The situation is same in other Vidarbha districts like Yavatmal, Akola and Nagpur where cotton is grown. Now farmers had no option but to trust and follow the dealers.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/