Project Report on Markfed Agrochemicals,

Mohali

Submitted to:

Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Jha

General Manager

Markfed Agrochemicals Mohali

Submitted by:

Roshan Chirag Singh Dhaliwal

B.E. Chemical-MBA II

Panjab University

Chandigarh Dated: 12/07/19

 Acknowledgement
I am thankful to Markfed Agrochemicals, Mohali for providing such a
friendly and learning environment throughout the period of training. I
am grateful to Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Jha, Deputy General Manager, for
providing me the opportunity to undertake training at this plant. I am
highly indebted to Mr. R.P. Sharma, Subject Expert, who, given his
knowledge and expertise was ever ready to answer our queries. Also I
would like to thank S. Sarabjit Singh Bajwa, Superintendent, for
constant support and cooperation throughout the process of training.
This learning process would have been incomplete without the slight
contributions of the staff at Markfed Agrochemicals, Mohali.
 About Punjab Markfed
The Punjab State Co-op Supply & Marketing Federation Ltd. known as
“Markfed” was registered in 1954. At the time of registration, it began
with one bicycle, three employees, thirteen members and a capital of
Rs.54,000/-, it has now achieved meteoritic volumes and has grown to
become the largest marketing co-operative in Asia with an annual
turnover of over Rs.11600 Crores during 2013-2014 with 1932
employees.

Markfed operates through 17 District offices over 100 Branch offices in

Mandi Towns and 9 processing and trading units. Markfed’s net worth
as on 31.03.12 is Rs.70 Crore and the number of members has expanded
to 3051. Markfed has emerged as a very solid and stable organization
committed to the service of the farmer community of the State of
Punjab.

Markfed has been awarded National Productivity Awards in various

fields like co-operative marketing activities, food processing, cattle feed
production etc., to name a few.

Several innovative incentive schemes have been introduced for the

benefit of the farmers and the member co-operative societies. Markfed
has also introduced an insurance scheme which provides compensation
in case of accidental death or permanent disablement of its farmer
members.

Markfed contributes to research & development through the Punjab

Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab).

Markfed has been regularly distributing its profits as dividend to its

members, contributing to co-operative development and the Common
Good Fund. A fair amount is also re-invested in the setting up of new
projects, modernization and diversification of existing plants.
 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
 To promote sustainable development of Punjab Agriculture
community through supply of reliable high quality inputs and
services as well as efficient procurement and marketing of
agricultural produce.
 To be a globally renowned cooperative federation
 To optimize the return to ensure the overall development of
agricultural community through operation across the agriculture
value chain.
 The main aim of Markfed is to safeguard the interest of the farmer.
 Markfed played an important role in the green revolution by
helping in realization of market rates of farm products thereby
generating employment.
 Adopting and promoting the latest techniques in the agricultural
sector.
 Upliftment of the rural population which is solely dependent on
agriculture.
 ACTIVITIES
DOMESTIC OPERATIONS-

Procuring & Distribution Operations:

Markfed, being a State Government procuring agency is engaged in

Procurement of agricultural produce. It procures wheat, paddy, Cotton,
oil-seeds like mustard, sunflower on behalf of Govt. of India through
FCI / NAFED as part of Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy / Price
Support Scheme. The food-grains business comprises more than 85% of
the business turn-over of the Markfed.

Procurement of Food Grains:

1. Wheat- During the year 2013-14, Markfed procures wheat on behalf

of Govt. of India and is also responsible for supply of wheat under Atta
and Daal Scheme of Punjab Govt.

2. Paddy- Markfed plays a vital role in paddy procurement in the state.

The milling of paddy is done under the Custom milling Policy of Food
Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Govt. of Punjab.
Distribution & Trading Operations:

1. Fertilizer

Markfed has been appointed as a nodal agency for procurement &

distribution of DAP fertilizers through cooperatives since last three
years. It holds a market share of 45% in the state of Punjab. The state
always relies on Markfed for the rescue of Punjab Farmer. Markfed
distributes about 8.00 Lac MT urea and 3.50 Lac MT DAP annually.

2. Agro-Chemical

To facilitate efficient crop management, Markfed has an Agro-

Chemicals unit at Mohali, to formulate about 29 pesticides mostly ISI
marked. This unit is ISO: 9001-2015 certified. It has tied up with leading
MNC Syngenta and D.I.Dupont for providing quality agrochemical
products. Apart from this the department is providing and distributing
quality BT seed and Wheat seed to farmers in Punjab.

3. Cotton

Markfed is doing the business of purchasing Cotton Pressed Bales on

commission basis for Spinning Mills and has purchased 8687 Cotton
Bales upto July 2013.
Manufacturing Operations:

Markfed takes pride in having its own Agro based processing units for
manufacturing SOHNA brand Vanaspati, Refined Oils, Processed &
Canned foods and Rice besides Cattle feed. Markfed’s SOHNA brand
has become a household name for these products. Through these state-
of-art manufacturing facilities Markfed produces world-class products.
Markfed Canneries which has obtained certification for ISO 9001 and
Global HACCP This certification by world recognized body ensures
trust, confidence among overseas buyers who are very conscious about
inspections, safety and hygiene standards followed by the manufacturing
unit. Global HACCP would ensure complete documentation of the
processes followed by the plant to eliminate all risk factors. Markfed
produces world-class products which have carved a niche for themselves
in several markets.

Markfed Canneries

The cannery unit was set up in the year 1972 and is producing Ready To
Eat canned food products like Sarson ka Saag, Daal Makhni, Chatpata
Chana, Karhi- Pakora Palak Paneer, Black Chana, Mushroom Matar,
Alu Methi, Alu Palak, Lobia, Karahi Paneer etc. Besides this, the bottled
food products i.e. Tomato Ketchup, Tomato Puree, Mixed Fruit Jam,
Vinegar, Honey and Fruit Drinks are also produced. This is mainly an
export-oriented unit and about 80% of ethnic food is exported to
countries like America, Europe, Middle East, Australia etc. Based on
requirements, the unit also supplies these materials to Indian Army
through Army Purchase Organization (APO). Unit has recently started
packaging and marketing of spices & Spinach puree in 2013 on pilot
basis.

Markfed Vansapati & Allied Industries, Khanna

This Plant was started in the year 1971 to promote Oil Seed Farming and
to provide cooking medium to rural & urban markets. MVAI Khanna
produces range of Edible refined oils & Vanaspati including Cotton
Seed, Sun Flower, Mustard and Soybean Oils. The unit also
manufactures Kachi Ghani & Paki Ghani Mustard Oils. For better
logistics/marketing, the plant also outsources Vanaspati , Atta & Salt.

Cattle feed Plant

To promote sale of quality cattle feed, Markfed has two units which
manufacture cattle feed for Dairy Farmers and these are located at
Kapurthala and Gidderbaha.

In the year 2009-10 the capacity of both the plants was been enhanced
from 100 TPD to 150 TPD

The animal feed manufactured here is popular in Punjab, Haryana, HP,

J&K, Rajasthan and Delhi and sold through dealers & cooperative
societies.
Markfed Modern Rice Mills

Markfed has 3 rice mills with 4-ton paddy milling capacity per hour
each. Three units at Nawanshahr, Machhiwara and Bagha Purana are
operational. Besides custom milling of paddy, Markfed Modern Rice
Mill at Nawanshahr is also producing Basmati rice which is known for
its quality throughout the world and this unit has been given ISO-
9001:2000 and Global HACCP certification. Markfed processes
Pakistani Basmati, B-386, PB-1121, PB-1 and Sharbati varieties of
Basmati. Basmati is exported to Middle east, Australia and USA.

Markfed Agro-Chemicals

To facilitate efficient crop management, Markfed has an Agro-

Chemicals unit at Mohali which formulates about 29 pesticides mostly
ISI marked. This unit is ISO: 9001-2015. It has tied up with leading
MNC Syngenta and D.I.Dupont for providing quality agrochemical
products. Apart from this the department is providing and distributing
quality BT seed and Wheat and Maize seed to farmers in Punjab.
International Operations
Markfed has carved a distinct identity for itself by setting up a number
of export-oriented units to process agricultural produce. Markfed helps
farmers by procuring their produce and organizing exports. A vast range
of products from Markfed have found markets in the Middle East, UK,
USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc.

About 2.5 million cans of Ready to eat delicacies containing farm fresh
Sarson Ka Saag, Chatpta Chana, Rich Creamy Dal Makhni and other
delicious Punjabi delicacies & other Indian vegetable curries are
exported around the world.

Markfed has been declared the nodal agency by APEDA (through

Ministry of Commerce & industries) for setting up the AEZ (Agri-
Export Zone) to facilitate Potato export from Punjab. The zone entails
partnership of farmers, processors, exporters, the State and the Central
Government agencies to coordinate for end to end development of
potatoes and its processed output from farm to consumers. To facilitate
export of Potato to European Union various activities have been
undertaken:

Study of Quarantine Pests and other problems in Potato

Organizing Global GAP certification

Organizing Integrated Nutrient Management/Integrated Pest
Management studies

Organizing Farmer training camp for rectification of problems faced by

farmers for Potato cultivation and suggests methods for improvement in
yield of Potato

Markfed, as nodal agency for the project would coordinate the efforts of
various organizations like NHB. NFPI, APEDA, ICAR, MOA, Revenue
department and the various State Government agencies like the
Department Of Agriculture and Industries and will also act as the main
link between Central and State agencies and the stake holders who are
farmers, exporters and processors.
MARKFED AGROCHEMICALS, MOHALI
To facilitate efficient crop management, Markfed has an Agro-
Chemicals unit at Mohali, to formulate about 25 pesticides
mostly ISI marked. This unit is ISO: 9001-2015 certified. It has
tied up with leading MNC Syngenta and D.I.Dupont for
providing quality agrochemical products. The plant is solely
responsible for pesticide formulation within Markfed and
supplies it through cooperative societies spread throughout
Punjab.

The plant consists of two units – liquid plant and dust plant. The
liquid plant manufactures the pesticides in liquid form whereas
the dust plant formulates pesticides in the form of powder.
Various kinds of formulations take place which shall be
mentioned later on in this report. It also has a testing laboratory
for quality testing which is done in accordance with the
standards set by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards).
Types of Pesticide Formulations
Pesticides are manufactured in concentrated forms with purity above
90% and hence cannot be used directly by the farmer. So this technical
grade material is converted into usable concentration which is safe for
crops and has a prescribed dosage. To achieve this formulation is done.

1. Wettable Powders (WP) – Powder formulations that on dilution

with water yield stable suspensions are called wettable powder
suspensions. These are usually more effective than dust as dust is
poorly retained on the surfaces. Emulsions are easily adsorbed
and as a result a considerable amount on fruits is retained. The
particles of suspension adhere well to the surfaces and they do
not penetrate and can be washed off easily.

Requirements-

i) Stability in storage and absence of caking.

ii) Rapid formulation of suspension and slow settling of solid
particles.
iii) Good wettability and spreading power.
iv) Retention on sprayed surfaces for prolonged time.

Effectiveness of the suspension depends on the degree of dispersion of

the actual ingredient.
To increase the retention on plant surfaces, special stickers are added.
The raw materials are dispersing/suspending agents, wetting agents and
inert fillers like silica and hydrophilic diluents i.e. hydrated aluminium
oxide, synthetic calcium silicate.

Examples are Copper oxychloride 50%WP, Mancozeb 75% WP

2. Dusting Powder (DP) – The technical grade material is

mixed with inert i.e. soap stone, clay, etc and pulverized to particle
size of 200 mesh. In grinding process pesticide particles are coated
by diluents. The powder is dusted over the required surface.

Example - Melathion 5% DP

3. Soluble Powder (SP) – The technical grade material is itself

soluble in water. It is diluted with fillers which are also water
soluble. In this formulation, suspending wetting agents are not
required or are required in very small quantity. The technical
along with fillers are grinded to the required mesh size.
Example – Acephate 75% SP
4. Soluble Liquid (SL) – Technical material that is soluble in water
can be used as such after mixing them with water soluble organic
solvents or water. Such chemicals are salts of organic acids with
different bases and some organophosphorus insecticides and
fungicides.
Example- Monocrotophos 36% SL, Imidacloprid 17.8% SL
5. Granules (GR) – Granulated formulations are widely used
for the control of soil inhabiting and above ground level
pests. The most important method in preparation of
granulated formulation is impregnating of prepared granules
with liquid pesticides and subsequent screening. Kaoline and
Betonites are used as diluents. For granulation in addition to
diluents and pesticides various binding agents based on
synthetic raisin are used.
The most widely used formulations have grain size from
0.2mm. Their application is less affected by winds and
converts them in dusts and liquids.
Example – Cartap Hydrochloride 4% GR
6. Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC) – One of the most
commonly used type of formulation of pesticides is
Emulsifiable concentrates. They upon dilution with water
give stable emulsion suitable for spraying on plants and
surfaces.
The technical grade material is in the form of liquid or solid
which is diluted with inert filler solvents which are mainly
petroleum solvents i.e. Kerosene, Heavy Aromatics, etc. The
combination so formed is insoluble in water to make in the
form of emulsion. Apart from emulsifier, suitable stabilizers
are added.
 Examples – Butachlor 50% EC, Pendimethalin 30% EC
7. Water Dispersible Granules (WDG) – It is a pesticide
formulation consisting of granules to be applied after
disintegration and dispersion in water. The granular product
has distinct particles within the range 0.2 to 4 mm.
 PRODUCTS
1. MARK PENDI(Pendimethalin 30% EC) -

It is an herbicide of dinitroaniline class used in pre-emergent and post

emergent stages used to control annual grasses and broad leaf weeds.
The crops for which it is used are tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, garlic,
ladyfinger, pulses, wheat, maize, etc.

2. Marksulfo(Sulfosulfuron 75% WG)-

It is a post emergent herbicide for control of phalaris minor as well as
certain broad leaf weeds of wheat.

3. Markclodina(Clodinafop Propargyl 15% WP) –

It is a pesticide for wheat and mainly used against phalaris minor.

4. Markgrip(Metsulfuron-methyl 20% WP) –

It is a pesticide used to control broad leafed weeds as well as some
annual grasses for the crops of wheat and paddy.

5. Markpower(Sulfosulfuron 75%+ Metsulfuron 5% WG) –

It is a selective weedicide used for control of different weeds on crops

such as wheat and sugarcane.

6. Markazine(Atrazine 50% WP)

It is an herbicide of pre-emergent and as well as post emergent broad
leafed weeds in crops such as maize and sugarcane and on turf such as
golf courses and residential lawns. It was banned in the European Union
in 2004.

7. Markchlor(Butachlor 50% EC) –

It is used as a selective pre emergent herbicide. It is widely used in India

for the protection of paddy.

8. Markpretila(Pretilachlor 50% EC) –

Pretilachlor is used to control annual grasses, broad-leaved weeds and
sedges in rice and works by inhibiting cell division.

9. Markglypho(Glyphosate 41% SL) –

It is a non selective weedicide for paddy.

10. Markdor(Imidacloprid 17.8% SL) –

It is an effective insecticide for cotton, wheat, paddy, sugarcane, etc.

11. Marktap(Cartap Hydrochloride 4% GR)

It is a granular formulation in which the active agent is cartap

hydrochloride. It is used in paddy and sugarcane.

12. Markphate(Acephate 75% SP) –

It is an insecticide with moderate persistence and it is mainly used
against leaf miners, caterpillars, thrips, aphids, etc.

13.Markpyriphos(Chlorpyriphos 20% EC) –

Chlorpyriphos (CPS) is a pesticide used on crops, animals, and

buildings, and in other settings, to kill a number of pests, including
insects and worms. Chlorpyriphos was patented in 1966 by Dow
Chemical Company.

14.SOHNA MELATHION(Melathion 50% EC) –

Melathion is an organo phosphorus insecticide which is used against

sucking pests of various crops.

15.Markdelta(Deltamethrin 2.5% WP) –

This insecticide is used as protection of wheat and paddy stored in
godowns against various insects.

16.DDVP(Dichlorvos 76% EC) –

Dichlorvos is an organophosphate widely used as an insecticide to

control household pests, in public health, and protecting stored products
from insects. The compound has been commercially available since
1961 and has become controversial because of its prevalence in urban
waterways and the fact that its toxicity extends well beyond insects. The
insecticide has been banned in EU since 1998.

17.Markseed(Tebuconazole 2% DS) –
 Tebuconazole is a triazole fungicide used agriculturally to treat plant
pathogenic fungi.

18.Markvax(Carbendazim 50% WP) –

Markvax is broad spectrum systemic fungicide, very effective in the

control of fungal diseases of various crops.

19.Markzole(Propiconazole 25% EC) –

Propiconazole is used agriculturally as a systemic fungicide on turf
grasses grown for seed and aesthetic or athletic value, wheat,
mushrooms, corn, wild rice, peanuts, almonds, sorghum, oats, pecans,
apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, prunes and lemons.

20.Markzeb(Mancozeb 75% WP) –

Mancozeb is a dithiocarbamate non-systemic agricultural fungicide with

multi-site, protective action on contact.

21.Marksulphur(Sulphur 80% WDG) –

It is a contact fungicide which is promoted for termination of various
crop diseases and also used as fertilizer for sulphur deficiency.

22.Markcopper(Copper oxychloride 50% WP)

It is a relatively safer fungicide which is recommended for the

termination of various crop diseases in paddy, potato, chilli, lemons,
mustard, etc.
Toxicity Labels

Toxicity labels are mandatory labels employed on pesticide containers in

India identifying the level of toxicity (that is, the toxicity class) of the
contained pesticide. The scheme follows from the Insecticides Act of
1968 and the Insecticides Rules of 1971.

Extremely Toxic (1-50mg/kg)

Highly Toxic (51-500mg/kg)

Moderately Toxic (501-500mg/kg)

Slightly Toxic (>5000mg/kg)

 LIQUID PLANT

The liquid plant is majorly responsible for the formulation of

pesticides in the form of Emulsifiable Concentrates (EC). Here
the liquid pesticides are formulated throughout the year and it
keeps on changing from formulating one pesticide to another
depending on the demand of the market.

PLANT FEED

 Technical Grade Material

 Emulsifier
 Solvent

DESCRIPTION OF MACHINERY

Construction and working of different equipments installed in

the Liquid Plant are mentioned below:

Underground Storage Tanks-

The liquid Plant has eight underground storage tanks which are
arranged in two pairs of four each.
The material used for construction is Mild Steel.

The Capacity of each tank is 15000 litres.

It has 1 inlet and 2 outlet lines. Storage tanks are used for
collecting solvents in them mainly-

1. Kerosene
2. Heavy Aromatic(H.A.)

These tanks are filled through inlet line by tankers and are
outsourced from petroleum companies.

Stainless Steel Mixing Tanks-

The liquid plant consists of two mixing tanks and a storage tank.
The specifications of which are given below:

1. Material of Construction – Stainless Steel

2. Agitators/Mixers – Centrally mounted propeller with gear
box
3. Propeller Speed – 100 to 200 rpm
4. Capacity – 3000 litres
5. Inlet – From outside the plant
6. Outlet – 2 outlet lines(to storage tank/filter and to vent)
These mixing tanks are centrally mounted with propeller along
with the provision of a motor and a gear box. Propeller speed is
between 100 -200 rpm depending on the type of products. The
time of mixing depends on the condition of the technical to be
mixed.

Gate Valves

Gate valves attached with pipeline of 2”, ¾” and 1” are used.

Centrifugal Pump

A centrifugal pump is used for lifting the solvent from desired

underground storage tanks for mixing. A single pump is used to
withdraw liquid from all the tanks using proper valve and pipe
combinations.

Pipeline Fittings

All the underground tanks are fitted with a single pipeline of

same diameter. The inlet pipeline is in such a way that the flow
is due to the slope given in it, whereas pipelines of varying
diameters such as 2”, 3/4” and 1” have been used throughout the
plant as per the requirements.
Filter Press

Filter Press is attached to the outlet of mixing tanks so as to

filter the liquid pesticide product before undergoing the process
of filling into the bottles. The Filter Press consists of nine plates.
Each plate has the filter media as cloth. The process of filtration
takes about nine hours after which the filter is cleared.

Semi Automatic Volumetric filling Machine

The filling machine used works on the principle of air pressure.

This filling machine can fill a volume of upto 1 litre per stock
cycle. In a single cycle, two processes are carried out. In the first
half cycle the set quantity is filled in the machine cylinder and in
the second half cycle this is released into the container kept
under the nozzle.

The desired volume can be adjusted by rotating the adjuster

screw nut in a clockwise or an anticlockwise direction. To
increase the volume the nut is rotated in a clockwise manner and
vis-à-vis to decrease the volume. For filling a container of
500ml, the nut is adjusted so as to fill up only half of its capacity
whereas to fill a volume of 5 litres, 5 cycles are required.

Sealing Machines

In this plant, two types of sealing machines are used-

1. Tin Capping- After filling the container, a tin cap is put

manually on it. Then the bottle is held under the tin capping
machine which rotates the cap in a violent manner thereby
sealing it.
2. Induction Capping- Plastic caps with aluminium foil on the
inside attached to a cardboard base are used. After fitting
the cap manually, it is kept on the conveyor belt. The
height of the machine is adjusted according to the height of
the container mouth. This plate attains a temperature
around 88ºC. When the container moves past the plate, the
aluminium foil adheres to the mouth of the container
resulting in air tight packing.

DESCRIPTION OF PROCESSES

Filling up of the storage tanks

The liquid plant consists of eight underground storage tanks
used to collect different solvents in them. The tanks are arranged
in two pairs of four each. The specifications of these tanks have
been mentioned in the previous section.

The input line is connected to the incoming tanker that consists

of the requisite solvent. The solvents are namely Kerosene and
Heavy Aromatic (HA). Depending on the type, the tanker is
connected to the suitable input line and the corresponding valves
are opened and valves to other tanks are subsequently closed.
Here gravitational force causes the solvent to flow from the
tanker into the storage tank which is underground thereby
emptying the tanker. This is the input or the filling process.

Drawing from Storage Tanks

The next process involved is the process of drawing the required

solvent from the underground storage tanks. For this process a
centrifugal pump is used. All the inlet valves are closed and the
output valve of the tank from which the solvent is to be drawn is
opened. Then the pump is started.
This pump lifts the solvent from the underground storage tank
and transfers it to an open mixing tank where it is mixed with
technical grade material in the desired ratio. Here the solution is
weighed and when the desired concentration is reached, the
pump is stopped and the outlet valve is closed. Another pump is
used to transport this liquid into the mixing tanks inside the
plant. Inside the plant a rotameter is used to measure the flow
rate of the liquid.

Mixing Process

The input coming from outside of the plants includes technical

and solvent in the desired ratio. Each tank has gate valves which
can be opened suitably to fill the desired tank.

The mixing tanks agitate the liquid with the help of centrally
mounted propellers. The propeller speed is maintained between
500-600 rpm depending upon the products needed to be formed.
Each propeller has three pedals on its axis. After the mixing
process is completed, the ball valve located at the lower end of
the tanks is opened to draw out the mixed liquid.
Filtration Process

The mixed liquid is ousted from the lower end of the mixing
tanks. It is further connected to a centrifugal pump which
provides energy to the fluid to pass through the filter press
where filtration takes place. This filter press consists of nine
plates and cloth is used as the filter medium on each of the
plates. A filtration process takes about nine hours after which
the filter media is cleaned.

Storage and Filling

After filtration, the filtered pesticide is moved to a stainless steel

storage tank having a capacity of 1000 litres. This tank’s outlet
is connected to a pneumatic filling machine with two head
capacity of 1 litre.

For instance – For chlorpyriphos 20% EC 5 litres filling is

taking place. A container is filled in 5 cycles each of 1 litre. On
each side there is a casing containing reciprocating piston. The
piston in one cycle does two operations:

1. Filling the casing with 1 litre pesticide from storage tank.

2. Emptying this into the container at the exit head.
This process is done with the help of check valve inside the
pneumatic volumetric filling machine. This machine consists of
two pistons and is thus called two head filling machine.

Packaging and Dispatch

After filling up the container the following processes are

followed:

1) Capping – The caps on the bottle are put on manually.

2) Sealing – The caps are sealed or screwed onto the bottle heads
with the help of screwing machine. This is done in two ways:
 Induction Packing
 Tin Packing
3) Labeling – The bottles are cleaned and the labels are applied
by adhesive manually.
4) Stamping – Stamping of the date of manufacturing, batch
number is done by screen printing.
5) Dispatch – They are then packed in cardboard boxes and are
ready for transportation.
 DUST PLANT

In this plant, pesticides are mixed with some sort of inert carrier i.e. soap
stone, clay and then pulverized to a particle size of 200 mesh. In the
grinding process, the pesticide particles are not only distributed but also
coated with the diluents. Fine particles adhere on plants, insects and also
result in uniform coverage. The powder is dusted over required surface.
The examples include Melathion 5% DP.

Feedstock

1. Technical in liquid state

2. Soap stone as filler
3. China clay to adsorb moisture

Description

Blender-Ribbon type

This type of mixer is used to mix or solid when they are dry and free
flowing.

A ribbon blender consists of horizontal trough containing a shaft and

helical ribbon agitator. Two counteracting ribbons are mounted on the
same shaft. One ribbon moves slowly in one direction and other quickly
in other direction. Mixing results from turbulence induced by the counter
acting agitators. In the blender, proper mixing of technical with filler is
done. Ribbon blender operates batch wise, with the technical and filler
charged and mixed until satisfaction is reached. The capacity of ribbon
blender is 5-8 ton/hr. the material is then collected at the bottom.

Cyclone Separator

This is used for removing unwanted dust particles from exhaust stream
coming out from the mill. The feed of the cyclone separator are fine
particles that are taken in by exhaust vent by creation of slight vacuum.

It consists of vertical cylinder with a conical bottom, a tangential inlet

near the top and an outlet for dust at the bottom of the cone. The inlet is
rectangular and the fines rotate at 100/200 rpm. Fines are collected as
waste and air vented out is within pollution limits.

Description of process

The soap stone and china clay which is used as filler and moisture
adsorbent respectively in the dusting powder comes in the form of
powder. Hence there is no need to grind them. These two are mixed with
liquid technical. In the ribbon blender the mixing process is done. The
blender batch size is one tone and the capacity is of 5-8tons/shift.

In this batch a blender of requisite quantity of soap stone is added and

the liquid technical is sprayed with a pair of pipes having pores at
regular intervals. This ensures uniformity. later china clay is added to
adsorb moisture from the solution. After the process of mixing in the
blender, the product is then collected from the bottom in bags. These
bags are then weighed to standardize their weights. In addition to this
pollution control process is also carried out. There are vent lines at all
equipments and at packing outlets all the vent lines are drawn out of the
plant and they are passed through a large cyclone separator which is run
on an internal draft motor connected to it. The particles are collected at
the lower end of the cyclone hopper and the rest is vented out in the
atmosphere which is under the pollution limit.
 WETTABLE POWDER PLANT

Feed

1. Technical in powder form

2. Wetting and suspending agents
3. China clay to adsorb moisture
4. Synthetic silica

Description of Machinery

Jet Mill

A jet mill having grinding chamber of 500mm or 2inch in diameter has a

capacity of 200kg/hr. all parts coming in contact with material compete
with basic micronizing unit, primary cyclone, secondary cyclone, and
dust collector, filter bag, feeding hopper, ventury feeder valve and
pressure gauge. The discharge valve of cyclone is fitted with rotary air
lock valve with an electric motor starter and a Y piece and necessary
structure of primary cyclone to accommodate two blenders.

Variable speed screw feeder

The variable speed screw feeder feeds the material to feeding hopper
complete with screw conveyor, sprockets, gear box, motor starter and
variable speed mechanism. The material of construction is mild steel.

Ribbon Blender
It has a useful capacity of 1000 litres and a total volume of 1500 litres. It
is made of mild steel construction with trough of 5 mm thickness and
plate of 8mm thickness. It is completed with bearing, gland packing,
support legs, inlet connection to receive the ground material from y
piece of jet mill, extra inlet hopper for manual charging, a connection for
air baleen, and a side outlet chute for bagging fixed with it. In addition
to these rotary air lock its drive motor and starter complete with 75 hp
motor for the blender and starter are also present.

Compressor

A reciprocating compressor is used. This machine compresses air or

process gas upto 200000 ft3/min at the inlet to an outlet part of 20 atm.
Compressor used in this plant is non lubricant air compressor. The heat
from friction is absorbed by the gas and temperature above isentropic
temperature is attained and is therefore cooled by a shell and tube heat
exchanger. Cold water is passed through tube side and hot air through
shell side. Air is then dried to remove moisture as well as any other
volatile impurities in air dryers consisting of activated alumina which
absorbs the moisture

Description of Process

Material is fed to pre mixing ribbon blender. In pre blender, technical,

china clay, synthetic silica and wetting and suspending agents are put
and blended for 2-3 hours. They are then manually transferred to a
hopper.

Then compressed air at 8kg/cm2 is passed through the safety valve

provided for the grinding disc. Since the material is in semi solid form,
small stream of compressed air is used to introduce it into the jet mill.

Then the material through jet mill enters the cyclone after that it is
connected in the bag, and then it enters into mixing grinders. Jet mill
consists of three rollers inside the disk. The particle size obtained is 200-
300 mesh i.e. a very fine particle size.
 QUALITY CONTROL AND TESTING

Markfed has certificated from Central Insecticide Board for 76 products,

out of which presently the plant is formulating 22 products. The Bureau
of Indian Standards, the national standards body is looking after
consumer interests through Standard formulations and Certifications
Marking. The product prescribes levels of quality, safety and
performance of relevant products and methods of their practical
evaluation.

Manufacturers are permitted to use the standard ISI marks on their

products after ascertaining their conformity to relevant Indian standards
under the well defined scheme of testing and inspection. The presence of
the mark provides a guarantee to the customer about its quality.

Testing

On the basis of specifications, the formulating unit is bound to formulate

the product according to specifications. Though there are a number of
methods of testing formulations, but general ones are:

Test for Water Dispersible Powders:

1. Sieving test
2. Suspendability test
3. Acidity/Alkalinity test
4. Wettability test
 Test for Dusting Powder:

1. Sieving test
2. Test for bulk density
3. Acidity/Alkalinity test
4. Active Ingredients

Test for Emulsifiable Concentrate:

1. Cold test
2. Emulsion test
3. Flash point
4. Acidity/Alkalinity test

A few examples of Purity Tests of few pesticides according to the

Bureau of Indian Standards are given below:

Deltamethrin 2.5% WP(High Performance Liquid Chromatography)

(i) Calculate the weight of sample by given formula

(ii) The column used is silica coloumn.
(iii) The mobile phase used is 95:05 (Iso octane:1,4 Dioxane).
(iv) The makeup phase ratio is 80:20.
(v) Inject the standard.
(vi) The wavelength is 254 nm.
(vii) The flow rate is kept at 1ml/min.
(viii) Note the retention time of the highest peak of the graph.
 (ix) Preparation of the sample- take the calculated weight in
50ml volumetric flask and make upto 50ml using pipette.
(x) Preparation of 1,4 Dioxane- take 985 ml 1,4 Dioxane, then
add to it 15 ml HPCL water.

Chlorpyriphos 20% EC (Gas Liquid Chromatography)

(i) Inject the standard of known purity into the injector port by a
microlitre syringe.
(ii) The columns used are SS.
(iii) It uses three gases- Nitrogen(carrier), Hydrogen and Oxygen.
(iv) Flame inside ionizes the sample.
(v) Sample ionizes at different retention times.
(vi) Internal standard used is ethyl hexyl phthalate.
(vii) The first peak is of chloroform(solvent), second of
chlorpyriphos and third of EHP.
(viii) Calculate the reference factor which should be constant and
near about 1.
(ix) Repeat the procedure for sample.
 SAFETY

The plant follows proper safety norms. All the workers are given gloves,
protective glasses and masks. Gloves are for dealing manually with
chemicals. Glasses are to protect eyes against fine particles and fumes.
Masks prevent fumes and fine particles from entering into the
respiratory system of the workers.

To deal with fire, the plant conforms to the fire safety norms and has
proper fire extinguisher supplies. They are placed at critical positions
throughout the plant where they are easily accessible. The location has
well defined entry exit points in case of emergency.

Also underground pipelines are spread under whole of the premises with
openings near the manufacturing as well as administrative areas. These
pipelines carry water. The plant is prepared to deal with any kind of
unforeseen circumstances. A medical doctor visits the plant weekly to
check the health of the workers and a medical room is available 24x7 to
deal with medical emergencies. Toxicity warnings and Dos and Don’ts
are displayed in sensitive areas throughout the plant.
 CONCLUSION

This report is to summarize the operations at the Markfed Agrochemical

Plant, Mohali. The plant not only works for profit, but also for regulation
of prices. Its sole purpose is to serve the farmers of Punjab by providing
them with quality pesticides at a reasonable price. The production takes
place tirelessly to quench the need of pesticides by the agricultural
community. The plant makes use of the latest techniques and machinery
to achieve this. The plant creates a balance between man power and
automation to ensure smooth functioning. The plant maintains its quality
by regular inspections and adequate testing. The plant has an excellent
quality control laboratory which has the latest instrumentations and a
team of experts who leave no stone unturned to ensure quality of the
products. The plant is apt to fight any sort of emergency. Safety of
workers is highly prioritized by providing them a safe environment to
work in. Appreciable work is being done at the plant to improve the
productivity of the crops in the state of Punjab.