Furadan is one of the deadliest pesticides available in the Indian market. Known by its trade name of Carbofuran, this chemical causes neurological damage in humans and has been responsible for the deaths of millions of wild birds in many countries. Banned in Canada, the US and the European Union for its toxicity, this pesticide was found on red bananas grown in Nagercoil.
These are one of the many findings revealed in the 25-page report filed by the Kerala food safety commissioner report on excessive use of pesticides in fruits and vegetables by Tamil Nadu farmers. According to the report, prohibited chemical pesticide Monocrotophos was found on various vegetables and fruits like gooseberry , curry leaves, potato and garlic. This discovery was made when a three-member Kerala team visited a gooseberry and curry leaf farm in Dindigul between May 10 and 15. The team comprised joint commissioner of food safety K Anil Kumar, assistant commissioner of food safety D Sivakumar and research officer G Gopakumar. Highly toxic pesticides like Phorate and Phenovalarate were found in soil of potato and carrot fields in Ooty. Kerala authorities have expressed shock in their report on the use of “hormones, pesticides and micronutrients with heavy metals“ on a cucumber farm in Dindigul. “The horticulture department has issued guidelines on use of chemicals and fertilis ers, but these are never followed by the farmers,'' said the report.
Tamil Nadu horticulture officials admitted that Monocrotophos was prohibited, but other pesticides are allowed in prescribed limits. “They have collected samples from farms in the cultivation stage. At that stage majority of the chemicals are allowed,“ said a senior pesticide researcher on Tamil Nadu Agricultural University .
“They should have collected the samples from the markets, just before the consumption stage. That would have given credible data for pesticide level,“ said district secretary of TN Farmers' Association A Kandasamy .
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