Pesticides

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The HIndu - K. A. Martin, The Kerala Agricultural University has found \93dangerous levels\94 of pesticide residue in key vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, vegetable cowpea (achinga), amaranthus red, small red onions, tomatoes, green chillies and curry leaves, among others.

 

The residue includes that of the banned Profenofos, which falls into the yellow category (second level of pesticides in the toxicity classification) and which has translaminar action (the toxin entering the plant system primarily by roots, and transported to locations throughout the plant, where it can affect those who consume the vegetables).

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The Times of India - Jayashree Nandi, TNN | NEW DELHI: If Delhi government has to make sure that residents don't eat pesticide-laced food, it will have to push neighboring states to reduce their pesticide usage. Most of Delhi's fruits and vegetables come from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Agricultural experts say that while High Court-appointed panel's recommendations on monitoring pesticide residue levels are welcome, much more needs to be done.

 

According to the latest report of government's All India Network Project On Pesticide Residues, most vegetables that were sourced from mandis — especially okra (bhindi), cabbage and cauliflower — were found to have pesticide residues higher than the maximum residue limit (MRL). The residues of cypermethrin, chlorpyriphos (a pesticide often linked to disorders in humans) were found to be most common in city vegetables.

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Indian Express - Press Trust of India : New Delhi, Favouring intensified monitoring of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables sold in Delhi, an expert committee set up by the High Court on Wednesday suggested that the Delhi government establish a special cell to handle such issues.

 

Filing its suggestions before the bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath, the committee comprising experts and government officials said the pesticide residue testing infrastructure with the city government is also required to be strengthened.

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The Hindu, With lifestyle diseases so rampant today, shouldn't we turn our attention to clean and safe eating practices, asks Geeta Padmanabhan.

 

Watch carefully what you eat, said Anantha Sayanam, coordinator, Safe Food Alliance and founder-volunteer, Restore \97 a not-for-profit organic retail outlet. That's "clean eating", right? Call it "safe eating", he corrected me. But "clean eating" is the current buzzword \97 routinely tagged to tweets, found in blogs, posted on Instagram and Facebook, and seen on television screens. Is it a diet? A trendy lifestyle? A passing fancy?

 

Clean food is a simple concept; it's what eating was always about, said Dr. David Katz, Director, Yale University Prevention Research Centre. "Food that's clean is food that's for the most part real, not encumbered with things that compromise health: artificial flavourings, artificial colourings, sugar substitutes."

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Hindustan Times, The Delhi high court on Wednesday ordered surprise checks of wholesale and retail markets in the Capital to ensure that vegetable and fruits on sale do not have pesticide residue beyond permissible limits.

 

The court was acting on survey reports filed by consumer rights NGOs which said that vegetables and fruits finding its way to Capital\92s markets are a toxic cocktail capable of pesticides including those banned causing cancer, heart disease and infertility and posing a risk to nervous system and liver.

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New Indian Express - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, The pesticide residue levels in cardamom and curry leaves sold in the state are found to be at an alarming rate. Presence of pesticides that are banned in the state was also found in a study conducted by Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Vellayani.

 

Tests on the samples collected from various markets in the state showed that the pesticide levels in these spices cross the maximum residue levels(MRL), the permissible amount of pesticide residues in food materials.

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The Times of India | Saloni Bhatia | TNN, Aamir Khan's show, 'Satyamev Jayate' was in trouble with the Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) after an episode on pesticides went on air on June 24 last year.

 

PMFAI said that the episode had no experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Central Insecticides Board or Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and in the complaint, had written that "further telecast of Satyamev Jayate should be stopped" as they were spreading wrong, unscientific information.

 

The Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) met on April 12 with representatives of Star Plus,Aamir Khan Productions and PMFAI representatives to discuss this.

 

The BCCC found that even though the programme was critical of the use of pesticides, they dealt with the issue with proper sensitivity and maturity.

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THE regulatory system for chemical pesticides in India is in a shambles. Government agencies are themselves blatantly violating the national law meant to regulate the use of pesticides.

 

State agriculture departments, agriculture universities, National Horticulture Board ( NHB), Tea Board, Spices Board and other government agencies are promoting the use of harmful pesticides among farmers, a new investigation by the Centre for Science and Environment ( CSE) has revealed.

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The Times of India | Jayashree Nandi | TNN, NEW DELHI: Innumerable guidelines, rules and safety standards may be in place to regulate pesticide usage but guess who call the shots? Pesticide dealers.

 

They decide which pesticide and in what quantities are to be used by farmers.

 

A recent Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study found that government's extension services to monitor pesticide usage have failed completely in reaching out to farmers. Farmers say they have no option but to depend on pesticide dealers for advice. Recommendations from agriculture universities don't reach them. They end up using any pesticide indiscriminately no matter how toxic.