Has the use of pesticides in vegetables decreased or not been tested?

• Last year, 8,575 samples were tested by the Pesticide Rapid Analysis Laboratory unit in 7 federal agricultural wholesale markets under the Central Agricultural Laboratory. When the samples of vegetables and fruits were tested for residues of carbamate and organophosphate pesticides, 8,503 samples were found to be edible. Similarly, it is mentioned in the laboratory report that 26 samples should be quarantined and 46 samples are unfit for consumption.
• The agricultural laboratory tested 1,560 samples last July alone. When testing the samples of vegetables and fruits, 1 thousand 556 were found to be edible, 3 samples were to be quarantined and one sample was found to be unfit for consumption.

The examples mentioned are the facts shown by pesticide test reports from agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture. According to Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center, 9 groups of pesticides have been registered in Nepal. 7 out of 9 groups of pesticides are imported. These pesticides include insecticides, fungicides, bactericides, herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides and biological pesticides. It contains hundreds of pesticides. But government laboratories only test the residues of pesticides in the carbamate and organophosphate groups.

The data of the customs department also confirms that the import of pesticides is increasing. In 074/75, 169 thousand 360 kg of pesticides were imported, but in 079/80, it increased to 354 thousand 358 kg. Apart from these, the import situation of other pesticides is also the same. In 074/75, 6 lakh 35 thousand 721 kg of pesticides were imported, in 079/80 it reached 11 lakh 83 thousand 741 kg. In the last financial year alone, 1 billion 69 crore 63 lakh rupees worth of pesticides have arrived.

In this way, when only a small amount of testing is done, relatively less pesticides have been found in vegetables and fruits. In fact, the amount of pesticides in vegetables has been found to be low because there is no test of pesticides other than these groups.

There is also a lot of illegal imports due to open borders. But it has not been monitored. In the name of getting more production, pesticides have been used arbitrarily. It has damaged not only the soil but also the health of the common people. But there is no awareness about the use of pesticides, nor is the government strict in testing," said Uddhav Adhikari, coordinator of the Agricultural Campaign for Food. "It is a shame that pesticides are not shown in the government report. Because not all imported pesticides are tested.'

Due to the government's irresponsibility, the health of the farmers and consumers have also been harmed, the official said. The latest example of this is from Gandaki Rural Municipality of Gorkha. It has been claimed that 61 people have cancer and 15 people have kidney failure in that village due to the use of pesticides," said the official, "The main responsibility is the government. He says that farmers are suffering from immediate and long-term diseases as agricultural technology does not reach villages. Well, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has formed a task force under the coordination of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center to identify the truth after the disease is detected. The working group said that it is studying.

Other than these districts, the situation is the same. According to experts, pesticides have immediate and long-term effects on human health. Immediate effects include dizziness, paralytic attack/fainting, feeling tired, fainting, headache, vomiting, chest pain, skin blisters, red eyes, blurred vision. Effects after

i.e. long term cancer/tumors, respiratory diseases, neurological and behavioral effects, physical development effects, birth defects can affect immunity. Paralysis, hereditary changes, liver damage, reduced fertility or sterility/impotence, mental imbalance may occur, the center said. In this way, even though the farmers and consumers are directly affected by the use of pesticides, the government does not pay attention to the control. The government has satisfied itself by testing the residue of two pesticides.

Farmers are not aware of the use of pesticides and the common people are forced to consume pesticides. Not paying attention to pesticide testing of vegetables and fruits means that the government is being irresponsible towards the public," said Madhav Timilsina, president of the Consumer Research Forum. All imported pesticides should be tested, and for that, all necessary labs and kits should be arranged immediately.'

All these types of pesticide testing can be done in a central laboratory under food technology. But it has not been effectively tested in the laboratory. Food has only emphasized on testing at the customs checkpoint. 'Testing at the customs checkpoint is only a name Except for two groups, there is no testing,' said an officer of the department, 'that too is tested on the basis of Hachuva.'

Rajivdas Rajbhandari, the Senior Crop Protection Officer of the Agricultural Laboratory, admitted that despite testing in 7 federal wholesale markets under the Central Agricultural Laboratory, only two groups were tested. There are many groups of poisons, but they have not been tested. Now preparations are being made to test pesticides of other groups," said Rajbhandari. It is not that the government has not started an organic campaign to control pesticides.

The Karnali state government had started the 'Organic Karnali campaign' to make the state pesticide-free. But after 6 years it is limited to declaration. "The task of controlling the wrong use of pesticides and imparting knowledge about the methods of use is the responsibility of the federal government as well as the state and local level, but all these bodies have failed," said Dilli Sharma, the former director general of the center. As a result, the situation is becoming dire.

Pesticide import and control is the responsibility of Plant Quarantine. But Sharma says that he could not manage it. Apart from the listed ones, new pesticides have also started to be imported. But farmers don't know about its usage method. Neither the government has been able to test it,'' he said.

350 companies have been registered at the Center to import pesticides. There are more than 19 thousand distributors. Through this distributor, the pesticide has reached the farmer's field through Agrovet.