Ensuring safety of agro-chemicals

The increasing use of banned agro-chemicals in the country’s food production sector has raised serious health and environmental concern among agriculture experts and nutritionists at many fora in recent times. Their purpose is to draw the government and public attention to the hazards of giving free and unchecked rein to the practice. They also believe […]

The increasing use of banned agro-chemicals in the country’s food production sector has raised serious health and environmental concern among agriculture experts and nutritionists at many fora in recent times. Their purpose is to draw the government and public attention to the hazards of giving free and unchecked rein to the practice. They also believe that steps should be taken to stop it to avoid calamitous consequences.
Some of the agro-chemicals on the government’s prohibition list that are still finding their way into the country and deployed in farming and in other industrial usage include chordane, captafol, toxaphene,  parathione and DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). These are used mainly in the agricultural sector to control weeds and pests and in fishing, but the harmful residues accumulate over time in the soil and in produce and left unchecked could get into food chain and contaminate fish and other marine life. The immediate effect of this is that produce from Nigeria are being shunned in the international market because of the presence these chemicals and their derivatives.
Recently, the former minister of Trade and Investments, Segun Aganga, expressed worry that 103 Nigerian agro-products were rejected by potential buyers, citing safety concerns. 
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) recently said that investigations in Lagos, Enugu, Osun, Benue and Katsina states had revealed the presence of banned pesticides in most of the markets.
The agency said investigations showed improper handling of agro chemicals by the traders and the farmers. For instance, it noted, most traders and farmers didn’t use personal protective equipment when handling pesticides and when the pesticides expire, the farmers apply overdose with the belief that it would make up and be as effective as fresh supply.
Due to such hazards and the likelihood it could affect whole communities, NESREA said it would begin to arrest and prosecute importers and retailers of banned hazardous pesticides and agro-chemicals in the country.
The danger however is that the problem is here and now and some manifestation of it can be seen from the ‘strange’ occurrences in many communities of people suddenly going blind or waking up with uncommon rashes on their skin.
 The fact that Nigeria’s farm produce get rejected should have been a wakeup call long ago to make farming and fishing, and agriculture generally, safe vocation by ensuring that such harmful chemicals don’t get into the chain.  The implication is that the rejected produce is shipped back for sale in the Nigerian market.
Due to the ease of access to such chemicals, farmers have become lazy and want to make huge profit out it but endangering lives.
 Fishermen have also abandoned the safe method of fishing; many of them now spray the poisonous Gammalin 20 in the river and loaf around for awhile to harvest the fish that come afloat. This harvest the members of the public buy to consume or resell at great peril to their personal and family health and to others.
The banned agro-chemicals used in preservation of farm produce are also harmful for human consumption, not just to the pests.
However, a lot has to do with enlightenment, because many farmers may not be aware of the harmful effects of the banned agro chemicals they use. Many are also ignorant on the use of protective gear in using even the approved ones.
The federal and state ministries of agriculture should do more and educate farmers and fishermen, especially in rural communities, about such harmful agro-chemicals. It should not be left to their discretion.
It is disaster waiting to happen that can affect everybody; the earlier the government takes action the better for everyone.
NASREA is also not doing its work as it should; proposing only now to start arresting and prosecuting dealers of banned hazardous pesticides and agro -chemicals does not sound like the action of a serious safety agency. Why has it been waiting until when the media popped the question of its inaction? 
Government should enforce existing laws, the Environmental Health Officers of Nigeria and NASREA should mop up the harmful agro-chemicals in the country and launch enlightenment programmes to discourage agro-farmers from using harmful chemicals and provide examples of the safer ones. The Customs Service should be involved in preventing harmful chemicals from coming into the country.