Excessive use of pesticides in green vegetables

KATHMANDU: AUGUST 8 – The use of pesticides in vegetables and fruits production here is found to be increasing.

During a gathering organised by the Agricultural Knowledge Center here today, it was shared that 13 of the samples tested last year showed the excessive use of pesticides. The test was carried out at Pesticide Residue Rapid Testing Laboratory, Chhetrapur.

The programme was held to review the last year’s programmes and provide information about the new programmes for the current fiscal year.

According to Land Management and Cooperatives Ministry’s project chief Rajan Dhakal, 1,057 samples were tested and of them, 13 produces were discarded for the overuse of pesticides while 20 produces were put in quarantine for some time before allowing supply in the market. The lab was brought into operation two years ago. Last fiscal year, two samples out of 299, were found to have the presence of excessive use of pesticide residue and six samples were recommended for the quarantine.

Likewise, the high presence of pesticides residue was found in the samples of cucumber, beans, chilli peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beans and sponge gourds.

There were complaints even from Kathmandu’s Kalimati Vegetable Market that green vegetables supplied to the market from the district had the increasing use of pesticides. Now farmers are being aware of the consequences of the excessive use of pesticides on agri-products, according to Dhakal.

The Center plans to focus on the production of organic farming, it is said.