Sri Lanka to increase fines for the misuse of pesticides

(October 26, 2009) Sri Lanka Pesticides Registrar's office says that the cabinet has approved the increase of the fine for the misuse of pesticides to Rs. 500,000 from present Rs. 10,000.

The amendments to the relevant Acts are to be moved in the parliament soon.

The office also says that around 70% of the pesticides users in Sri Lanka do not use the recommendations relevant to use of the agro-chemicals. Use of pesticides was popularized by the authorities during the 1970s green revolution and now it is widespread among the farmers of cash crops.

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New laws on pesticide use

(October 07, 2009) New regulations on the use of pesticide will be gazetted this year to ensure the safe use of pesticides, said senior research officer of the Peradeniya Registrar of Pesticides, Sumith Jayakody.

Addressing a media awareness program organised by the Health Education Bureau together with CropLife and Toxicology Society, he said new regulations will be applied to pest control services, labelling information, training of pesticides applicators and penalty structure.

After effects * Pesticide poisoning deaths: 1,242 * Admitted to hospital: 16,876 * Seventy percent use more than stipulated dosage of pesticides * Eight percent had intense toxicity following spraying

“The fine for the misuse of pesticides will be increased to Rs. 500,000 from Rs. 10,000. One thousand two hundred and forty two deaths were recorded due to pesticide poisoning in 2006 while 16,876 people were admitted to hospital. In the same year, 2,787 people had committed suicide by taking pesticides,” Jayakody said.

He pointed out that the majority of pesticide users (70 percent) used more than the stipulated dosage and majority (82 percent) had symptoms of intense toxicity following spraying.

He emphasised that the users must take adequate protective measures while using them and this cannot be done simply by enacting laws.

Jayakody also noted that when using pesticides not only personal safety but also the impact on environment and beneficial insects should be of concern.

The users are also encouraged to use novel approaches in pesticide products such as “insecticide treated bed nets” for mosquitoes, in which chemicals are embedded in polymer capsules, and “Splash packs” for crops, which minimise the exposure by keeping the sprayers away, he said.
Rejecting the claim that any pesticide can be transported into the country easily, he said: “We are following Stockholm, Basel, Rotterdam and Montreal International Conventions related to the production, export and import of hazardous chemicals and therefore bringing in banned chemicals to the country is highly restricted.

Also as an island, by nature itself, trans-boundary movements are limited and it is a comparative advantage for us,” he said.

-Daily News

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Posted in Agriculture , pesticides , Sri Lanka

Fruit and veg have ‘unacceptable’ levels of pesticides

By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor

Apples, peas, and grapes are sometimes covered in crop spray that is above the maximum allowed levels allowed under European law.

The findings come from the Pesticides Residues Committee, part of the Health and Safety Executive, after testing more than 4,000 samples of food and drink.

The levels of pesticides varied considerably, with imported fruit and vegetables tending to have higher levels, according to its 2008 annual report. One in 7 beans in a pod one in 25 fresh peas (in pods) and one in five yams all had pesticides above the allowed level. One in 70 apples and pears had illegal levels of pesticides.

The Food Standards Agency insisted the illegal levels did not necessarily mean that the food was unsafe to eat, and pointed out that the overall levels of pesticides in food had fallen over the last year. In 2007 1.8 per cent of food had illegal levels; 2008 it had fallen to 1.2 per cent.

All of the fruit and vegetables supplied to schools contained pesticides within allowed levels, though nearly all the apples (49 out of 52 tested) and every one of the bananas had some form of pesticide in them. Many of the pieces of fruit had more than one pesticide.

The Soil Association, which represents the organic industry, said the report was alarming nonetheless.

Emma Hockridge, policy co-ordinator at the Soil Association, said: "Unbelievably we learn yet again that pesticides are turning up in fruit and vegetables supplied to schoolchildren. Yet again the government tells us this is nothing to be worried about.

"Yet we know that children’s exposure and susceptibility to pesticides is likely to be higher as per body weight they ingest more food and drink than adults and their bodies’ ability to process and excrete any such residues is different to that of adults.

"It is unacceptable that 94 per cent of apples, and 100 per cent of bananas tested contained pesticides."

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