DFTQC to study impact of pesticides on farmers

KATHMANDU, June 22: In a bid to make people aware about the adverse effect of hazardous pesticides on human health, the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) has decided to conduct a study on the health of the farmers. Commercial vegetable farmers have been found to be using excessive amount of pesticides to control pests for better yields. They also use such insecticides to make the products look attractive.[break]



Officials at DFTQC said that they have decided to study the health of farmers, as they are exposed to harmful pesticide more than others. The office is responsible for ensuring the quality of food items in the country. "We are preparing to conduct a study on the farmers of Kavrepalanchowk district," said Jiwan Prava Lama, director general (DG) of DFTQC.



Banepa, Panchkhal and their adjoining VDCs of Kavrepalanchowk are the hub of green vegetables, which are mostly supplied to the capital.

DG Lama said that the department will collect information about health complications suffered by the farmers, children and pregnant women in the areas. "We will also collect information and data from the hospitals and health institutions of the areas," added Lama.



 Doctors say that improper and excessive uses of pesticides are dangerous for the health of consumers. It may lead to acute food poisoning with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness and numbness, they say. In severe cases, victims may even have difficulty in breathing and complain of blurred vision and convulsion. Prolonged consumption of vegetables with excessive pesticides may also damage nervous system or other organs such as liver and kidneys. Irrational use of pesticides can also cause birth deformities. Some pesticides may be transferred to infants from breast-feeding, thereby, affecting their development.



The DFTQC said that in the study, the office will also collect blood samples of the farmers to study the level of pesticides in their body. "We don´t know how much the farmers have been affected by the excessive use of pesticide," said DG Lama, adding, "We hope the study will help to formulate a policy for regulating the use of pesticides." The office hoped that the study will help to make farmers more aware of the impact of pesticides and encourage them to use it rationally.

Previous studies conducted by the office found that the residual pesticides in green vegetables are beyond permissible limits.

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