Farmers across the region are raising serious concerns about the widespread sale of ineffective and fraudulent pesticides and herbicides on various online marketplaces. Many have reported being misled by aggressive social media advertisements, particularly for a weedicide marketed as ‘Eloca Cyclosinone’, only to find the products useless or even harmful.
Responding to the growing outcry, the Agro Inputs Dealers Association Kerala (AIDAK) has formally appealed to Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Their urgent request is to implement a ban on the online distribution of these spurious agricultural chemicals.
Subi Bhaskaran, AIDAK State president, highlighted that the online sale of ‘Eloca Cyclosinone’ flagrantly disregards national regulations. He pointed out that the weedicide is being sold without the mandatory registration or approval from the Central Insecticides Board, a direct violation of the Central Insecticides Act of 1968.
Furthermore, Bhaskaran noted a blatant disregard for tax laws, stating that the product’s sellers are incorrectly charging a three percent Central GST, a rate that does not apply to such items. The lack of proper product information on the packaging is another serious issue. Crucially, the ‘Eloca Cyclosinone’ packets lack essential details such as the product name, chemical composition, active ingredient content, registration number, official price, manufacturing and expiry dates, and even a customer service contact.
Distressed farmers who purchased and applied the product confirm they were deceived by its false promises. Bhaskaran himself conducted an efficacy test after buying a packet for ₹380, only to discover the white granular substance had absolutely no effect on weeds, confirming the farmers’ complaints.