Marketing of sub-standard and spurious pesticides is a common phenomenon in Sindh, which could be judged by the fact that during the last three months 242 pesticides' samples were collected from all over the province and after laboratory analysis 24 of them were found unfit.
After the devolution of agriculture extension services, the marketing of sub-standard and pesticide has gained alarming proportions adversely affecting the fertility of the soil, damaging health of farming community and polluting environment.
The main objective of the devolution was that these type of matters might be attended at the local level promptly and efficiently by the elected representatives, who were fully conversant with the problems being confronted by the people, but they have miserably failed to combat the menace and till date not a single company involved in marketing of sub-standard and spurious pesticides have been penalised.
Sindh consumed pesticides amounted to Rs 2041.11 million annually of which cotton crop alone consumed pesticides worth Rs 1062.82 million. This led to mush room growth of pesticides companies in the province and with the passage of time their number is on the rise.
Women farm workers are the worst victims of massive consumption of pesticide by growers. A study carried out on women cotton pickers revealed many pesticides poisoning incident. No less than 68 percent pickers experienced sickness with average duration of 10 days out of 68 picking days.
In a cotton-growing district of upper Sindh, no less than 19812 persons were reported sick during the cotton season of which 3566 persons were hospitalised. The treatment cost of sickness was around Rs 4 million while the work loss cost around Rs 8.33 million.
The soil scientists have emphasised the need for control on pesticides availability and use, knowledge about the persistence of their residues in soil, plant and water, which is required in most circumstances because of their toxic effects on human health and the natural environment.
They have also suggested further amendments in Agriculture Pesticide Ordinance to streamline pesticide import, formulation, quality control, sale and uses by the federal government.
They recommended monitoring of pesticides residues in fruits, vegetables, food, crops even in cotton fibre keeping in view the WTO scenario.
Meanwhile, the district governments are aware of the whole situation in the interest of their own constituency and have launched a campaign against the pesticides companies indulged in marketing of sub-standard and spurious pesticides in the province.
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