Pesticide safety plan on the anvil

Agricultural officers to carry out inspections at pesticide outlets

The government is embarking on a programme to control the use of chemical pesticides by farmers and introduce certification for safe-to-eat crops.

Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar, who held a high-level meeting with officials in the department, said agricultural officers would be directed to carry out regular inspections at wholesale and retail pesticide outlets and prosecute traders found guilty of selling banned pesticides.

Field trials banned

Pesticide manufacturing companies would be prohibited from conducting field demonstrations and advertising their products. The quality control division in the Agriculture Department would be equipped to crack down on illegal sale of chemical pesticides and discourage indiscriminate use of hazardous pesticides.

“Agricultural officers will be asked to inspect pesticide outlets twice every month and take stock of each category of pesticide. Traders will be required to maintain bills and registers for stocks and sales and exhibit the stock position,” Mr. Kumar said.

Laboratories

The meeting decided to crack down on the unauthorised use of crop-specific pesticides.

It also resolved to open pesticide residue analysis laboratories in all districts to keep a constant tab on the use of pesticides.

The Minister said the government would soon issue a circular to all Krishi Bhavans prescribing measures for pesticide safety. An orientation programme would be organised for agricultural officers to equip them for the task.

The department would also initiate a certification programme for safe-to-eat crops.

However, officials point out that the failure to prescribe safety standards for the use of pesticides on various crops would make a mockery of the periodic monitoring of vegetables, fruits and food products for pesticide residue. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has not prescribed the Maximum Residue Level (MRL) of pesticides prescribed for various crops.

The MRL is fixed on the basis of a rigorous evaluation test of each pesticide approved by the Central Insecticide Board. It is an indicator of the correct use of pesticides and ensures compliance with legal requirements for low residues on unprocessed food. Officials say the delay in fixing MRL had led to the continued use of unapproved pesticides by farmers for over two decades, impacting on public health.

To understand the health hazards caused by pesticide residue, it is absolutely essential to have MRL values for various pesticide-commodity combinations.