Fatehabad farmers seek relief for crop loss due to 'poor quality' pesticide

On Friday, under the leadership of Bharatiya Kisan Ekta (BKE) president Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh and Pagri Sambhal Jatta’s Mandeep Nathwan, a group of farmers, met the District Commissioner and SP of Fatehabad. They submitted a demand letter requesting compensation for a farmer whose crop was ruined due to poor-quality pesticide.

The affected farmer, Karnail Singh, a resident of Bhundra village in Fatehabad, had leased land in the village for rice cultivation. After spraying his fields with the pesticide purchased from a private company in Tohana, his crop began to wither. Concerned, Singh sought an inspection from the Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer of Fatehabad, who filed a report on November 4 confirming the damage.

Following this, Singh informed the private company about his crop loss and sought compensation. Despite attempts to resolve the issue through a village council meeting, the company did not address his concerns or offer any compensation. Instead, Singh claims the company pressured him to drop his request. Notably, similar cases of crop damage have been reported in the Sirsa region due to the same pesticide, where affected farmers received compensation from sellers. However, Singh is yet to be compensated for his loss.

According to Aulakh, Singh’s entire 60-acre rice crop was destroyed due to the defective pesticide, resulting in a substantial financial loss. The farmers have now urged the District Commissioner and SP of Fatehabad to ensure Singh receives fair compensation and that legal action is taken against the said private company to prevent future incidents.