Poison we eat: Harmful pesticides(Himalayan Times 2 Jan 2017)(2 week old submission published today)

Chemical pesticide that initially was considered advantageous has proved destructive. To safeguard the citizen’s health, a long-term goal of the government should be chemical-free organic pest controls and awareness raising

Every day we eat a huge amount of poison. Doctors advise their patients to consume more green vegetables and fruit for good health.

All these ‘good’ foods, including grains and pulses that we consume, contain fatal chemicals. While buying fresh and snowy looking cauliflower, you should be aware it is highly likely it has been sprayed recently with insecticide.

Careless amount of pesticide spray, spray of banned pesticides and supply of farm products immediately after spraying are major problems among Nepali farmers seriously hampering the lives of consumers.

Over the last fifty years, many human illnesses and deaths have occurred as a result of exposure to pesticides. According to WHO, from pesticide alone 70,000 deaths are reported annually in the world.

Despite government’s claim that it is managing and reducing the use of chemical pesticides and fungicides in vegetables and fruits, data show the import of these chemicals to be swelling each year.

According to the Plant Protection Directorate (PPD), 455 tons of pesticides valued at Rs. 550 million entered the country in 2013-14, a sharp rise from 345 tons in 2012-13. Every year in December, government and some NGOs celebrate awareness campaigns for the proper use of pesticides, about organic pesticides, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), etc.

However, such campaigns are fruitless and just rituals. In an interview only one in ten farmers had ever heard of IPM. Such harmful chemicals are still in much use in the central region of the country due to the increasing number of commercial vegetable farms.

Farmers in Bara, Chitwan, Dhading and Kavre districts spray pesticides five to six times a year, and also use extremely hazardous chemicals. We annually import 452 metric tons of pesticides and 85 per cent are used in vegetable farming.

The current pesticide use rate of Nepal is 142 grams per hectares which is one of the lowest in South Asia.

In India 400 grams per hectares is used while in Japan 12-15 kg per hectare. But the lower use rate of the country is due to concentrated use of pesticides in vegetable and fruit farming rather than in all crops.

Vegetable and fruit farmers alone use 1400 grams of pesticide per hectares in Nepal which is a high rate. Allowing less time between spraying and market supply has created serious threats to consumers.

Some pesticides need two-three weeks after spraying for safe consumption. WHO has classified many pesticides like Methyl-parathion and Endosulphan as extremely hazardous which are still in use in Nepal.

Studies by independent groups found high levels of pesticide in the fruits and vegetables sold at Kalimati fruits and vegetables market. Nearly 14 per cent of vegetables being supplied to the market were found having a high level of pesticide residues or pesticides beyond permissible limits, and even containing banned chemicals.

After such alerting findings, government was pressurized to establish a Rapid Pesticides Residue Analysis Laboratory at Kalimati market in 2014. However, technician’s capacity, equipment and the existing manpower are big questions. In 2014, this lab found 26 of the 187 vegetable samples containing hazardous chemicals.

However, the monitoring and impeachment mechanism of the government is so lethargic that on finding faulty samples, the government was unable to ban or punish the sellers.

This is a violation of consumer’s right. In a case study done at Kerala, the cashew-nut ground of India shows how devastating chemical pesticides are.

After about 40 years of high pesticide spray for this high cash crop, there are now several villages with children having congenital abnormalities such as body deformities, loss of eyesight, hole in heart, and genital deformity.

As the drinking water of the villages were infected from pesticide a large number of elderly population had cancer and endocrine disruption and females had high abortion rates.

Farmers should be oriented for the proper using methods, handing methods, mixing methods, banned chemicals, storage period and organic/herbal pesticides.

Scrutiny of imported chemicals at customs points and monitoring of shopkeepers should be effective. Daily users should be aware that even some small steps can lower their health hazards. According to health experts, vegetables a little stale and spotted by insects are safer than fresh and clean ones.

Also, soaking fresh vegetables and fruit in salt water for a few hours or storing them for a few days before use make them less harmful. There are mechanical and cultural tools for pest control such as insect trap, crop selection (as a number of crops have disease resistant variety), plant extracts, animal waste (urine, cow-dung).

There are also several biological controls such as predator insects and beneficial microorganisms. Common household stuffs such as mixture of liquid dish-wash and vegetable oil can also control many insects and parasites like white fly, spider, mice, and fungus which are already tested in growing carrot, cucumber, tomato, and eggplants.

Human history has developed with many useful and some harmful inventions and one such is the chemical pesticide that initially were considered advantageous but proved destructive.

To safeguard the citizen’s health a long term goal of the government should be chemical free organic pest controls, intensive inspections and awareness raising.

Poisoned greens/ My Republica /December 28, 201

Farmers’ tendency to spray banned pesticides on vegetables poses grave health risks to consumers

Vikash Raj Satyal

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We are consuming poisons every day. Doctors tell us to consume green vegetables and fruits for good health. But what if these ‘good’ foods including grains and pulses contain dangerous fatal chemicals? So if you are buying snow-white cauliflower, you should think about whether it has been recently sprayed with insecticide. Our farmers’ tendency to spray banned pesticides on vegetables has grave consequences for their consumers. 

Nepal is one of the lowest pesticide-using countries in South Asia, with current use rate of 142 grams per hectares, while the corresponding figure for India is 400 grams while it is whopping 12-15 kg in Japan and Korea. But this rate applies to pesticide use in all agriculture land. According to Pesticide Registration and Management Division, we import 452 metric tons of pesticides annually, of which 85 percent are used in vegetable farming. We use 1.4 kg of pesticide per hector in vegetables, which is much higher than the pesticide used by the US, most of Europe and South Asian countries on their vegetables. 

Despite the government’s claim that it is working to reduce use of chemical pesticides and fungicides in vegetables and fruits, import of these chemicals is increasing. According to Plant Protection Directorate (PPD), 455 tons of pesticides worth Rs 550 million have entered Nepal in 2013-14, a 32 percent rise compared to previous year. 

Every December, government agencies and NGOs undertake awareness campaigns on proper use of pesticides, organic pesticides and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). But such campaigns have become nothing more than rituals. Such campaigns, celebrated in Kathmandu, never reach real farmers. In an interview, only one in ten farmers said they had heard of IPM. No wonder use of such harmful chemicals is rampant in central region due to their high concentration of commercial vegetable farms. Farmers in Bara, Chitwan, Dhading and Kavre spray pesticides five to six times a year. They also use extremely hazardous chemicals.

Farmers’ tendency to minimize the time between spraying and harvesting for market supply poses serious threat to consumer health. Some pesticides need dormant time of two to three weeks after spray for safe consumption. But this is not the case in Nepal. Besides, our farmers are still using extremely hazardous chemicals like Methyl-parathion and Endosulphan that have been banned by the WHO. 

Our porous border with India has enabled illegal import of banned and low-quality pesticides. We import 30-45 percent of our vegetables from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where pesticide use is high. 

Studies by independent groups have found high levels of pesticide in fruits and vegetables sold at Kalimati fruits and vegetables market, the largest wholesale bazaar in Kathmandu. Nearly 14 percent of vegetables supplied to the market were found laced with high level of pesticide residues.

They also contained banned chemicals.  Following this, the government was forced to establish the Rapid Pesticides Residue Analysis Laboratory at Kalimati market in 2014. But lack of skilled technicians, proper equipment and human resources has hampered its smooth functioning. 

In 2014, this lab found that 26 of the 187 vegetable samples contained hazardous chemicals.  But our government monitoring mechanism is so lethargic it could not take any action against the suppliers and sellers of poisonous vegetables. This government neglect is proving to be a serious threat to public health.

A case study from Kerala, known as cashew-nut ground of India, has reinforced the risks to human health from chemical pesticides. After 40 years of high pesticide spray in this cash crop, children in several villages have developed congenital abnormalities such as body deformities, loss of eyesight, hole in heart and genital deformity. As the drinking water of the villages was also infected with pesticide and soil polluted with chemicals, large number of elderly population suffer from cancer and endocrine disruption. It has also led to high rates of miscarriage among women. These abnormalities are found at nearly double the rate they are found in other states. According to WHO, 70,000 people succumb to pesticide consumption every year, 10,000 of them in the third world countries. So what can be done?

Our farmers need to be better trained on proper using, handling and fertilizer mixing methods, as well as on banned chemicals, storage period and organic/herbal pesticides. Such orientation should focus on vegetable pocket areas, not Kathmandu. There should be proper scrutiny of imported chemicals at customs points and shopkeepers who sell chemicals should be closely monitored. 

Kalimati lab should better coordinate with law-enforcement authorities so that those found guilty are immediately punished. And such labs should be expanded to major vegetable entry points into Nepal and urban markets. 

According to health experts, a little stale vegetable are safer for consumption than fresh vegetables.

Also, dipping fresh vegetables and fruits in salt water for few hours or storing them for few days before use makes them less harmful. Mechanical and cultural tools for pest control such as insect trap, crop selection, plant extracts and animal waste (urine, cow-dung) can be used. Predator insects and beneficial microorganisms can also be used in the farm. Household stuffs such as mixture of liquid dish-wash and vegetable oil can also help with the control of many insects and parasites like white fly, spider, mice and fungus. This has already been tested in growing carrot, cucumber, tomato and eggplants.

The chemical pesticides that were initially considered advantageous to farming have proved destructive. It is now up to the government to protect the health of all its citizens.