Faulty fungicide forces farmers to resow crops, PMFBY fails to cover

Farmers across multiple villages in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore and Bhopal districts face severe crop damage after using IPL company's "Shodhit" fungicide for seed treatment. Within 20 days of sowing, their crops mysteriously began withering, forcing them to replant and incur losses of ₹30,000-35,000 per acre.

"The fungicide has contaminated our soil. There's no guarantee future crops will survive," said a local farmer, rejecting IPL's compensation offer of ₹5,000 per acre. The affected farmers are demanding at least ₹25,000 per acre in damages.

"The company bears complete responsibility for this incident," stated K.K. Pandey, Deputy Director of Agriculture Department. "We are documenting affected farmers for further action."

This case highlights India's broader pesticide crisis. According to Crop Life, approximately 25% of India's pesticide market consists of counterfeit or illegal products. With Indian farmers spending $125 million annually on pesticides, a significant portion potentially funds dangerous fake products.

Adding to farmers' vulnerability, crop insurance schemes don't cover pesticide-related damages, leaving them at the mercy of private companies for compensation when such incidents occur.

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