No study available to assess the extent of damage caused to the farmers’ health

LAHORE: The unwise use of pesticides is causing serious health and environmental hazards. Though Pakistan is among the world leaders as far as the volume of pesticides consumption is concerned, there is no systematic in-depth study to assess the extent of damage caused to the environment and health of the farmers, predominantly women and children.

The studies carried out by various institutions time and again are superficial and area specific, not covering the entire under cultivation land.

According to a recent report by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), as many as 10,000 farmers are poisoned annually by indiscriminate use of pesticides in the cotton growing areas alone.

The chemical pesticides were first introduced in Pakistan in 1954 after a locust outbreak, and since then, their use has increased dramatically.

In 1992, Khoj Society for People’s Education conducted a survey, which revealed that 29 million kilogrammes of pesticides are imported every year for growing wheat and rice. The volume is 14 times more than in neighbouring India, which started using pesticides around the same time and continued to have high rates of usage.

The survey found that high rates of illiteracy among the farmers exacerbate the problem. The farmers rely on the pesticide producers and retailers to inform them of any dangers and instruct them on proper use. Because of this reliance, they are also often unaware of the alternatives to pesticide use.

Unfortunately, this also means that many families are unaware of the hazards of improper storage or the necessity of wearing protective masks and clothing when spraying and mixing.

The study also found that pesticides are often stored in living rooms, among cookware and plates and the bags in which they are sold are sometimes reused and sewn into quilts or floor covering. Utensils used to mix pesticides are often also used for cooking.

As women are not involved in the decision making around pesticides use and work both in the fields and in the home, where pesticides are stored, they are at higher risk of poisoning.

Not only do families risk health issues from the use of legal pesticides, illegal substances are also a problem, even to the extent of a threat to life. Between 1989 and 1993, the government banned 22 pesticides. But due to the lack of enforcement, many of those pesticides, including DDT, are still available in the market. The health consequences of these pesticides are often even more severe.

The farmers have complained about the lack of guidance about the time, type and quantity of pesticides. They also regretted the indifferent attitude of the government functionaries towards manufacturing and the sale of counterfeit, fake and substandard pesticides.

They believe that unchecked sale of such chemicals is depriving them of their hard earned money. These are not saving crops from hazardous pests and their only contribution is damaging the environment, they said.

Experts said the misuse or overuse of pesticides is prevailing due to insufficient knowledge of the farmers about the right time and required quantity, environmental hazards and health risks.

Excessive and unwise use of chemicals is depriving the crops of friendly pests, they said, while suggesting the government to improve extension services, establish organised monitoring, assessment and reporting programmes to ensure the usage of right pesticides only in the required quantities to minimise environmental hazards. They also suggested ensuring use of protective gears to safeguard the health of the farmworkers.

Muhammad Asim, CropLife Biotechnology and Seed Committee lead, held the lack of knowledge on the part of the small farmers responsible for the unwise or excessive use of pesticides.

Referring to the farmers’ complaints about the efficacy of pesticides, he said, it was due to the lack of knowledge about the right type, time and the dose of chemicals to control growth of specific pests.

“I don’t think the prevalence of counterfeit and fake pesticides is high. More than 98 per cent of the samples of chemicals collected from the company warehouses and dealers are usually found according to the required specifications.”

“As such, the lack of knowledge about the usage is the real issue. In the past, broad spectrum pesticides were used, which were meant for killing a variety of pests. Now, it is time for specific pesticides for specific insects. For uneducated farmers, every pesticide that fails to kill their targeted insects is a fake chemical. There is a need to educate the farmers about the right use of pesticides in the era of frequent new inventions,” he said.

The extension services department lacked resources to reach such a huge number of small farmers.

“Around 300 to 400 companies are marketing around 150 chemicals with different brand names. The small farmers are totally dependent on the extension services officials and shopkeepers to apply these chemicals. Mostly the lack of knowledge on the part of these farmers is causing wrong use of pesticides,” he said, adding that the situation has improved slightly with the use of social media.

“There is a need to further improve the information delivery through the use of social media, SMS, radio and television,” Asim said.

For him, whether the use of pesticides is alarmingly high or not is also debatable, as there is no proper study. He suggested carrying out a comprehensive in-depth study to assess the real situation.

“We cannot compare Pakistan with the US or the European countries due to different weather conditions during the year. The crops are grown here throughout the year unlike those regions where there is snow cover during extended winters. As such, the quantity of pesticides will be high due to their usage throughout the year. We can compare Pakistan with India due to similar literacy rate and weather patterns. I think the use of pesticides is also high in India. But we blame ourselves more, maybe due to 100 per cent reliance on imports,” he said.

To minimise the health hazards, he suggested using technology to limit exposure of humans to the pesticides.

“Advanced countries are using drones to apply pesticides only in the affected portions. It not only reduces the volume of pesticides used but also stops unnecessary human exposures to hazardous chemicals. As an immediate measure, the government should raise awareness about the benefits of using protective masks and clothing, while mixing and applying chemicals in the farms,” he added.

Aamer Hayat Bhandara, a progressive farmer from Pakpattan and co-founder of Agriculture Republic and Digital Dera, said that the lack of knowledge on the part of predominantly uneducated small farmers was the main reason behind excessive use of pesticides.

“The pesticides unwise use is not just a waste of money. The consequences are even bigger, as it is not only damaging the environment but also killing the friendly pests and putting the health of the farmworkers at risk,” he said.

The scenario is really worrisome due to 100 per cent reliance on the imports of agricultural chemicals. Bhandara suggested improvement in the extension services to enable the farmers to use the right pesticides in the right quantity at the right time.

“The pesticides are necessary. We will continue to do the same. There is a need to take measures to stop excessive and unwise use. We need to guide the uneducated rural farming community to improve the situation. It is in the benefit of the farmers, overall agriculture sector and the economy of the country,” he said.

According to him, the educated progressive farmers should also come forward and play their due role in guiding the uneducated small growers.

“Blaming the government departments for all the ills has become a routine. Yes, the extension services are not that good. Instead of blaming others, we need to fulfil our own responsibility and guide the fellow farming community,” he said, adding that the Digital Dera has been set up to disseminate necessary information to the farming community.

Comments

The lack of knowledge about the usage is the real issue and there is a need to educate the farmers about the right use of pesticides in the era of frequent new inventions

Muhammad Asim

CropLife Biotechnology and Seed Committee lead

The pesticides unwise use is not just a waste of money. The consequences are even bigger, as it is killing the friendly pests and putting the health of the farmworkers at risk

Aamer Hayat Bhandara

Co-founder of Agriculture Republic and Digital Dera