[CH] whadabout Pepsi & RC ??
Peter G (peter.g@telus.net)
Wed, 03 Nov 2004 20:40:21 -0800
Things grow better with Coke
The Guardian, John Vidal
To keep crops free of bugs Indian farmers are, according to this story,
reportedly spraying their cotton and chilli fields with Coca-Cola.
The story says that in the past month there have been reports of
hundreds of farmers turning to Coke in Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh
states.
But as word gets out that soft drinks may be bad for bugs and a lot
cheaper than anything that Messrs Monsanto, Shell and Dow can offer,
thousands of others are expected to switch.
Gotu Laxmaiah, a farmer from Ramakrishnapuram in Andra Pradesh, was
cited as saying he was delighted with his new cola spray, which he
applied this year to several hectares of cotton, adding, "I observed
that the pests began to die after the soft drink was sprayed on my cotton."
Mr Laxmaiah and others were cited as saying their cola sprays are
invaluable because they are safe to handle, do not need to be diluted
and, mainly, are cheap.
One litre of highly concentrated Avant, Tracer and Nuvocron, three
popular Indian pesticides, costs around 10,000 rupees (£120), but
one-and-a-half litres of locally made Coca-Cola is 30 rupees. To spray
an acre would be a mere 270 rupees.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,12559,1341454,00.html