Stringent regulations to control pesticide imports
View(s):Stringent regulations are to be enforced soon to control pesticide imports into the country in a maximum possible manner with the aim of minimising its undesirable effects including irregularities, corruption and waste of much needed foreign exchange, official sources disclosed.
Integrated Pest Management Techniques (IMP) and good agricultural practices are to be introduced to farmers by creating awareness on such activities which are based on the balancing forces in the ecological system, according to an Auditor General’s recent report.
IPM in a global perspective involves the adoption of a combination of various pest control techniques in a compatible manner to maintain the pest populations below an economic thresh-hold level with minimum reliance on low-toxic pesticides as an ultimate option.
As deemed by the regulations of the Pesticide Act all pesticides intended to be used in the country become compulsory to register to ensure that pesticides are effective for the purpose of pest control and will not subject the user, consumer or treated foods and the natural environment to unacceptable risk.
The required human and physical resources to obtain a sample of those pesticides and test them in the laboratory had not been established at the Customs and the Office of the Registrar of Pesticides in Sri Lanka. 80 importers registered with Office of the Registrar of Pesticides had imported pesticides into Sri Lanka and the amount of active ingredients contained therein was 200 under 570 trade names.
Smaller companies have also been allowed to enter the market making it difficult for the authorities to control the flood of pesticides, the report said.
Although pesticides should be sold under a formal certificate of registration with the Office of the Registrar of Pesticides in Sri Lanka, only 1,076 out of 2,294 pesticide outlets island-wide had obtained sales certificates.
Due to this large number of trade names and outlets, farmers often get confused and use the same active ingredient thinking that they are different products, the report revealed.
Few private and public companies compete in the Sri Lankan pesticides market creating an oligopolistic situation.
These companies act as local dealers or agencies of the multinationals. Nearly 17 companies are engaged in pesticides importation and Hayleys Ltd, Harrisons Chemical (Pvt.) Ltd, Lankem Ltd, CIC and CPC have the major share of the market. (BS)