Srinagar, June 22 -- By Dr. Ishtiyaq Ahmad Shah

Apple orchards form the economic foundation of rural Kashmir. Income from a successful harvest funds education, healthcare, housing, and household expenses while supporting a wider network of labourers, truck drivers, traders, packaging units, and cold-storage businesses.

When an apple crop succeeds, entire communities benefit. But when it fails, the consequences ripple far beyond the orchard.

That is why recurring reports of crop damage linked to substandard pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, and fertilizers should command immediate attention from regulators.

What appears at first glance to be a technical issue involving agricultural inputs has evolved into a larger economic problem ...