Coca-Cola may be the world's leading brand in terms of consumer recognition and market muscle, but it has other attributes too. Ananova reports that Indian farmers are reportedly spraying their cotton and chilli fields with Coca-Cola to protect them from pests. They say it's much cheaper than chemical pesticides and just as effective at controlling bugs (reports The Guardian). Hundreds of farmers are reported to have switched to cola in Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh states. Gotu Laxmaiah, a farmer from Ramakrishnapuram, said he was delighted after spraying cola on his cotton crops:
"I observed that the pests began to die after the soft drink was sprayed on my cotton".Farmers say their cola sprays are invaluable because they are safe to handle, do not need to be diluted and are cheap. One litre of pesticide costs around £120 but one-and-a-half litres of locally made cola is about 35p. A spokesman for Coca-Cola said:
"Soft drinks do not act in a similar way to pesticides when applied to the ground or crops. There is no scientific basis for this and the use of soft drinks for this purpose would be totally ineffective".The IPKat has often heard stories of the dangerous effects of Coke, but has never before heard of so destructive a use being so heavily praised.
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