BANGKOK, 23 June 2015 – The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is continuing to suppress the production and sale of substandard fertilizers and pesticides, with 48 producers and vendors arrested so far.
According to Anan Suwannarat, director-general of the Department of Agriculture, his department has been inspecting sellers of substandard farm supplies, ranging from individual stores to production plants. 48 producers and sellers have been arrested, and 8,000 tons of the substandard items, worth 300 million baht, have been seized.
Mr. Anan explained that in most instances substandard supplies purchased were attributable to direct selling to farmers at cheap prices by sellers who would visit each farming community along with the products loaded on trucks. Direct selling was also made through community leaders.
Farmers can purchase quality supplies at stores that have passed the Department of Agriculture’s inspection, Mr. Anan noted, adding that there are 1,495 such stores which are labeled as “Q shops”. Information on production, sale and advertising of fake or substandard farm supplies should be reported to the department.
