Cautious use of pesticides and chemicals in orchards needed

There should be regular monitoring of the use of baneful insecticides as they jeopardise public health

Our farmers and fruit growers across the country invite calamities for all the people while working on land and engaged in arboriculture. Usually they are so ill-informed and lacking in knowledge about the proper applications of insecticides and other farm chemicals they regularly use. More that necessary use of banned and powerful insecticides in fruit orchards may cause swelling of the brain which may kill children in a brief span of time. The disease is known as acute encephalitis syndrome. Therefore, in this regard it needs to be emphasised that ignorance is no bliss because it sometimes leads to deadly disaster.
It is in every body’s knowledge that the intake of fruits is indispensable for the balanced growth of children. But as dangerous insecticides were sprayed on fruits while in the orchards the parents are usually unable to give their children any safe fruits to eat. Moreover, to preserve or ripen fruits agrochemicals such as formalin, carbide etc., are applied to those that causes debilitating diseases. Now a days as insecticides are applied to luscious seasonal fruits like lychee and mangoe those are not safe for eating.
A case in point that we may cite is an incident that killed 13 children in Dinajpur in 2012. An investigation report says that the deaths occurred because of their exposure to multiple, highly toxic agrochemicals that were used. These deaths occurred at a time when lychee was being harvested and consumed throughout the country.
The scientists discovered that the fruit growers were applying a chemical substance named endosulfan in their fruit orchards. Because of its deleterious effects on health the highly toxic insecticide endosulfan has been banned in more than 80 world countries. The study revealed that those unfortunate children lived just beside the lychee orchard and reportedly consumed a large number of lychees collected from the orchard. Nevertheless, Bangladesh still allowed the use of this harmful endosulfan as of 2016. In our country the fruit growers use dangerously damaging lethal insecticide and pesticide known for their ruinous effects on health. It is beyond our understanding as to what logic is there behind the use or overuse of such insecticides in our country. We, however, already know that for their pernicious effects of toxic poisoning those insecticides have been phased out in many other countries.

Recently an international conference in Dhaka strongly pleaded for guarding against use of pesticides and chemicals for ensuring food safety. But it is alarming to note that to increase the size of the fruit the pineapple growers in Madhupur of Tangail are spraying hormones and different types of chemicals – untimely and excessively on pineapples. This is a dastardly act of exposing the consumers to health hazards. The Madhupur region produces over 100,000 tonnes a year of the delicious juicy fruit and it is sent to different parts across the country. Because of this malpractice the famous Madhupur pineapple is losing its charm to the consumers as those are losing the original taste.

A few years back, so that the growers can get yield of the fruit all the year round, the government gave the pineapple growers permission to use hormones in a limited scale. But the pineapple growers are misusing it by taking advantage of it. Hormones are meant to be used 15 days before and 15 days after the budding stage for better flowering of the plant. This is also meant for preventing the flower buds from shedding. But with the hope of bagging better profits the farmers – to make the fruits bigger in size – use hormones in an excessive amount on mature pineapples. As the farmers do not know about the proper use of the hormones, many of the growers use hormones as per the instructions of local pesticides shop owners.

Moreover, all the fruits of an orchard ripen at a time due to spraying hormones on the mature fruits before harvesting. This prompts the growers to use the hormones indiscriminately without thinking of its harmful effects not only on public health hazards, but also of selling them quickly at lower prices as the fruits are perishable. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the agriculture officials to create awareness or consciousness among the growers and to motivate them to grow the fruit without hormones. In business profit making is all right, but surely not at the cost of endangering public health. The issue of public health must be taken seriously into account on a priority basis.   

Recent findings released by the Ministry of Health's National Food Safety Laboratory confirm the widely held suspicion that food safety in Bangladesh is inadequate. The finding was on the basis of high residues of banned pesticides, and chemical preservatives in fresh produce samples from local markets in Dhaka. The results suggest that farmers, in their efforts to fight insect pests, are using a cocktail of toxic chemicals. But, unfortunately, they are not sufficiently aware of the need to stop using them before harvesting the crops. The results also indicate that the deliberate adulteration of the produce is to extend its shelf life. This they do by using chemical preservatives without concern for the health of consumers.

These lead to acute food poisoning cases in consumption of fruit, occasionally with tragic consequences – deaths.  Something has to be done to prevent from such tragic consequences after fruit consumption. Presumably it is not just sufficient to tell or caution consumers to be more careful, or to avoid buying mangoes or other fruits from certain vendors. More work, indeed, is needed to understand as to what advice farmers are being given. Measures needed to be taken to let them understand the effects of the chemicals they are frequently using and they are getting them from. There may also be initiatives and efforts to control the availability of toxic pesticides and chemicals which are banned but are still produced in and supplied from neighbouring countries. There may still be stockpiles of such chemicals in Bangladesh which need to be disposed of safely.

However, under the circumstances, the numerous agriculture officers posted in remote areas across the country need to advise the farmers and fruit growers about the danger of indiscriminate use of insecticides and chemicals. There should be regular monitoring of the use of baneful insecticides as they jeopardise public health. The rampant use of multiple chemicals to the fruit orchards in quantity far greater than normal – that is usually observed – has to be checked. It is horrific that the fruit growers in most cases apply insecticide approved not for food crops but only for use in cotton fields. The concerned authorities need to instruct the agriculture officers to warn the fruit growers that insecticide is a poison and is not a thing that can be toyed with. Unscrupulous overuse of insecticides and chemicals should, therefore, be stopped to avoid any public health hazard.

The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS GeneralEducation Cadre

Cautious use of pesticides and chemicals in orchards needed

There should be regular monitoring of the use of baneful insecticides as they jeopardise public health

Our farmers and fruit growers across the country invite calamities for all the people while working on land and engaged in arboriculture. Usually they are so ill-informed and lacking in knowledge about the proper applications of insecticides and other farm chemicals they regularly use. More that necessary use of banned and powerful insecticides in fruit orchards may cause swelling of the brain which may kill children in a brief span of time. The disease is known as acute encephalitis syndrome. Therefore, in this regard it needs to be emphasised that ignorance is no bliss because it sometimes leads to deadly disaster. It is in every bodys knowledge that the intake of fruits is indispensable for the balanced growth of children. But as dangerous insecticides were sprayed on fruits while in the orchards the parents are usually unable to give their children any safe fruits to eat. Moreover, to preserve or ripen fruits agrochemicals such as formalin, carbide etc., are applied to those that causes debilitating diseases. Now a days as insecticides are applied to luscious seasonal fruits like lychee and mangoe those are not safe for eating. A case in point that we may cite is an incident that killed 13 children in Dinajpur in 2012. An investigation report says that the deaths occurred because of their exposure to multiple, highly toxic agrochemicals that were used. These deaths occurred at a time when lychee was being harvested and consumed throughout the country. The scientists discovered that the fruit growers were applying a chemical substance named endosulfan in their fruit orchards. Because of its deleterious effects on health the highly toxic insecticide endosulfan has been banned in more than 80 world countries. The study revealed that those unfortunate children lived just beside the lychee orchard and reportedly consumed a large number of lychees collected from the orchard. Nevertheless, Bangladesh still allowed the use of this harmful endosulfan as of 2016. In our country the fruit growers use dangerously damaging lethal insecticide and pesticide known for their ruinous effects on health. It is beyond our understanding as to what logic is there behind the use or overuse of such insecticides in our country. We, however, already know that for their pernicious effects of toxic poisoning those insecticides have been phased out in many other countries. Recently an international conference in Dhaka strongly pleaded for guarding against use of pesticides and chemicals for ensuring food safety. But it is alarming to note that to increase the size of the fruit the pineapple growers in Madhupur of Tangail are spraying hormones and different types of chemicals untimely and excessively on pineapples. This is a dastardly act of exposing the consumers to health hazards. The Madhupur region produces over 100,000 tonnes a year of the delicious juicy fruit and it is sent to different parts across the country. Because of this malpractice the famous Madhupur pineapple is losing its charm to the consumers as those are losing the original taste. A few years back, so that the growers can get yield of the fruit all the year round, the government gave the pineapple growers permission to use hormones in a limited scale. But the pineapple growers are misusing it by taking advantage of it. Hormones are meant to be used 15 days before and 15 days after the budding stage for better flowering of the plant. This is also meant for preventing the flower buds from shedding. But with the hope of bagging better profits the farmers to make the fruits bigger in size use hormones in an excessive amount on mature pineapples. As the farmers do not know about the proper use of the hormones, many of the growers use hormones as per the instructions of local pesticides shop owners. Moreover, all the fruits of an orchard ripen at a time due to spraying hormones on the mature fruits before harvesting. This prompts the growers to use the hormones indiscriminately without thinking of its harmful effects not only on public health hazards, but also of selling them quickly at lower prices as the fruits are perishable. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the agriculture officials to create awareness or consciousness among the growers and to motivate them to grow the fruit without hormones. In business profit making is all right, but surely not at the cost of endangering public health. The issue of public health must be taken seriously into account on a priority basis. Recent findings released by the Ministry of Healths National Food Safety Laboratory confirm the widely held suspicion that food safety in Bangladesh is inadequate. The finding was on the basis of high residues of banned pesticides, and chemical preservatives in fresh produce samples from local markets in Dhaka. The results suggest that farmers, in their efforts to fight insect pests, are using a cocktail of toxic chemicals. But, unfortunately, they are not sufficiently aware of the need to stop using them before harvesting the crops. The results also indicate that the deliberate adulteration of the produce is to extend its shelf life. This they do by using chemical preservatives without concern for the health of consumers. These lead to acute food poisoning cases in consumption of fruit, occasionally with tragic consequences deaths. Something has to be done to prevent from such tragic consequences after fruit consumption. Presumably it is not just sufficient to tell or caution consumers to be more careful, or to avoid buying mangoes or other fruits from certain vendors. More work, indeed, is needed to understand as to what advice farmers are being given. Measures needed to be taken to let them understand the effects of the chemicals they are frequently using and they are getting them from. There may also be initiatives and efforts to control the availability of toxic pesticides and chemicals which are banned but are still produced in and supplied from neighbouring countries. There may still be stockpiles of such chemicals in Bangladesh which need to be disposed of safely. However, under the circumstances, the numerous agriculture officers posted in remote areas across the country need to advise the farmers and fruit growers about the danger of indiscriminate use of insecticides and chemicals. There should be regular monitoring of the use of baneful insecticides as they jeopardise public health. The rampant use of multiple chemicals to the fruit orchards in quantity far greater than normal that is usually observed has to be checked. It is horrific that the fruit growers in most cases apply insecticide approved not for food crops but only for use in cotton fields. The concerned authorities need to instruct the agriculture officers to warn the fruit growers that insecticide is a poison and is not a thing that can be toyed with. Unscrupulous overuse of insecticides and chemicals should, therefore, be stopped to avoid any public health hazard. The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS GeneralEducation Cadre