Ginger farmers abuse toxic pesticide: report
By Li Qian |
May 6, 2013, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUTHORITIES have started confiscating a highly toxic pesticide after it was found to be widely used in ginger fields in Weifang City, Shandong Province, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
A CCTV investigative program found some ginger farmers illegally used shennongdan, a pesticide made from aldicarb, a carbamate insecticide. The farmers spread it together with fertilizer in ginger fields and abandoned the toxin-laced packages everywhere, the report said.
"I have used it since it entered the market about 20 years ago," a ginger farmer was quoted as saying.
Another farmer told CCTV: "Who doesn't use it to kill insects? Can anyone ensure the harvest without it? If I stop using it, my output will be cut in half."
Exposure to high amounts of aldicarb can paralyze the respiratory system, cause blurred vision, headaches, nausea and tremors in humans. Fifty milligrams can kill a person weighing 50 kilograms, experts said.
Though farmers are aware of the health risks, they haven't considered changing to a safer pesticide, the program said, adding that some used far too much shennongdan in an effort to kill even more insects.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, shennongdan can only be used in production of cotton, tobacco, peanuts, roses and sweet potatoes. Strict limits are specified.
Farmers in Weifang used 120 to 300 kilograms of shennongdan per hectare, nearly three to six times the safety standard. They also used the pesticide twice in the six-month growing season while the ministry says it can only be used once every five growing seasons, the report said.
Underground water and soil was expected to have been contaminated after years of pesticide abuse since plants absorb aldicarb easily, the program said.
However, farmers said they didn't need to worry about their own health, according to the program.
"The ginger we eat isn't laced with pesticide," a farmer said.
It was reported that the tainted ginger was only sold to domestic consumers because other countries have extremely strict chemical residue standards.
Since the story was aired, Weifang authorities have started seizing and destroying the ginger laced with shennongdan. They also started inspecting pesticide vendors. Anyone who has illegal pesticides will be punished, Xinhua reported.
A CCTV investigative program found some ginger farmers illegally used shennongdan, a pesticide made from aldicarb, a carbamate insecticide. The farmers spread it together with fertilizer in ginger fields and abandoned the toxin-laced packages everywhere, the report said.
"I have used it since it entered the market about 20 years ago," a ginger farmer was quoted as saying.
Another farmer told CCTV: "Who doesn't use it to kill insects? Can anyone ensure the harvest without it? If I stop using it, my output will be cut in half."
Exposure to high amounts of aldicarb can paralyze the respiratory system, cause blurred vision, headaches, nausea and tremors in humans. Fifty milligrams can kill a person weighing 50 kilograms, experts said.
Though farmers are aware of the health risks, they haven't considered changing to a safer pesticide, the program said, adding that some used far too much shennongdan in an effort to kill even more insects.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, shennongdan can only be used in production of cotton, tobacco, peanuts, roses and sweet potatoes. Strict limits are specified.
Farmers in Weifang used 120 to 300 kilograms of shennongdan per hectare, nearly three to six times the safety standard. They also used the pesticide twice in the six-month growing season while the ministry says it can only be used once every five growing seasons, the report said.
Underground water and soil was expected to have been contaminated after years of pesticide abuse since plants absorb aldicarb easily, the program said.
However, farmers said they didn't need to worry about their own health, according to the program.
"The ginger we eat isn't laced with pesticide," a farmer said.
It was reported that the tainted ginger was only sold to domestic consumers because other countries have extremely strict chemical residue standards.
Since the story was aired, Weifang authorities have started seizing and destroying the ginger laced with shennongdan. They also started inspecting pesticide vendors. Anyone who has illegal pesticides will be punished, Xinhua reported.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
