‘Insecticide imports, application worrisome’
He said many pesticides being used in the country were dangerous
PHOTO: AFP
FAISALABAD:
“Pakistan imports insecticides worth $110 million annually. This is a matter of grave concern,” said University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan on Friday.
He was addressing a seminar organised by the Department of Entomology.
Iqrar said import of insecticides went up by 47 percent to 23,033 metric tons in 2013-14 from 15,692 metric tons in the previous year.
He said many pesticides being used in the country were dangerous. He said water containing pesticides was harmful for consumption.
“Such water can cause a variety of health issues, ranging from mild headaches and skin allergies to cancer and damage to internal organs,” he said.
He said modern practices like integrated pest management should promoted to reduce hazardous use of pesticides. He said plant protection measures helped increase per hectare yield. He said traditional methods of cultivation were keeping per-acre productivity at low levels and the average yield was just a quarter of other countries in the region. Faculty of Agriculture Dean Muhammad Arshad said there should be a mechanism to check quality of pesticides being sold to farmers.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2015.
“Pakistan imports insecticides worth $110 million annually. This is a matter of grave concern,” said University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan on Friday.
He was addressing a seminar organised by the Department of Entomology.
Iqrar said import of insecticides went up by 47 percent to 23,033 metric tons in 2013-14 from 15,692 metric tons in the previous year.
He said many pesticides being used in the country were dangerous. He said water containing pesticides was harmful for consumption.
“Such water can cause a variety of health issues, ranging from mild headaches and skin allergies to cancer and damage to internal organs,” he said.
He said modern practices like integrated pest management should promoted to reduce hazardous use of pesticides. He said plant protection measures helped increase per hectare yield. He said traditional methods of cultivation were keeping per-acre productivity at low levels and the average yield was just a quarter of other countries in the region. Faculty of Agriculture Dean Muhammad Arshad said there should be a mechanism to check quality of pesticides being sold to farmers.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2015.