Status of Chemical pesticides use and their regulation in Nepal

Dilli Ram Sharma, PhD Chief Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre NEPAL:PESTICIDE LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL SET UP

 Pesticide Act in 1991  Pesticide Rules and Regulations in 1993  Enforcement initiated in 1994  First amendment of Regulation 2064(2007)  Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre took over the role of pesticide registration and management and implement the regulation of pesticides and Plant Protection.  Plant Protection Officer from AGK in each district (total 77) designated as pesticide inspector.

USE OF PESTICIDES:

•Introduced in Nepal in 1950s for malaria eradication. • Mostly use in high value and vegetable crops.

Source: Sharma, 2015

Adverse effect of hazardous pesticides

 Pest resistance  Resurgence of pests  Toxic residues in food, , air and soil  Pollution to environment  Elimination of natural enemies  Disruption of eco-system  Poisoning PESTICIDES PROBLEMS

Improper handling Improper storage Improper transport Unsound disposal Methods

Environment Health hazards Poisoning pollution

Chronic Acute CONSUMPTION OF PESTICIDES

396gm a.i./ha

The consumption pattern of pesticides in different countries

S.N. Country Pesticide use active ingredient(ai) kg/ha 1 Japan 10.8 2 Europe 1.9 3 USA 1.5 4 India 0.481 5 Latin America 0.22 6 Oceania 0.20 7 Africa 0.13 8 Argentina 0.295 9 Turkey 0.298 10 Indonesia 0.575 11 Thailand 1.367 12 Mexico 1.375 13 Republic of Korea 16.559 14 Hungary 12.573 15 Italy 13.355 16 China 2.0-2.5 17 Nepal 0.396 Source: Arora et al., 2011

Top 10 Pesticide Consuming Countries of The World Rank Country Annual Pesticide Consumption (mt)

1 China 1,806000 2 United States 386000 3 Argentina 265000 4 Thailand 87000 5 Brazil 76000 6 Italy 63000 7 France 62000 8 Canada 54000 9 Japan 52000 10 India 40000 Trends of Pesticide Import

Trends of Pesticide Import by year Mt.

700

635 600 574 550 500 Mt. 455 400 410 356 347 335 345 300

211 200 196 177 176 146 152 154 131 132 100 108 77 56

0

Year Registered Pesticide in Nepal (Upto 2018/12/15)

SN Pesticide Category Common Name Trade Name 1. 60 1635 2. Fungicide 42 746 3. Bactericide 1 17 4. Herbicide 30 436 5. Acaricide 6 28 6. Molluscicide 1 2 7. 2 38 8. 14 113 9. Herbal 13 1 Total 169 3034 Status of Extremely & Highly Hazardous Pesticides Registered in Nepal

WHO Pesticide Common Name CAS No LD 50 No. of Trade Class Category (mg/kg) Name Regd. Ib Insecticide 62-73-7 56 78 Ib 1563-66-2 8 38 II Insecticide 63-25-2 300 1

II Insecticide Triazophos 24017-47-8 82 54 II Herbicide Paraquat 1910-42-5 150 17 dichloride Ib Rodenticide 28772-56-7 0.2-3.0 13 (GHS 1) Ib Rodenticide Zinc 1314-84-7 45 16 U Fungicide Benomyl 17804-35-2 >10000 1 Total 7 218 Pesticide brief data 2017/18

S.N. Description Number Pesticide registered till December 1. 3034 2018 (Trade name) Pesticide registered till December 2. 169 2018 (Common name) 3. License holder (Retailers) 11777 Trained personnel (safe storage 4. 11159 and use) 5. Formulators (13th March 2013 5 6. License on spraying 19 7 Importer 160 LIST OF BANNED PESTICIDES IN NEPAL

S.N. Name of pesticides Year S.N. Name of pesticides Year

1 2001 12 2001 2 2001 13 Monochrotophos 2006 3 2001 14 Methyle 2006 4 2001 15. 2012 5 2001 16. 2015 6 2001 17 Carbofuran 2019 7 DDT 2001 18 Dichlorvos 2019 8 2001 19 Triazophos 2019 9 2001 20 Carbaryl 2019 10 BHC 2001 21. Benomyl 2019

11 Organo mercury 2001 Fungicids

Ecological Scenario of Pesticide Use

Ecological Belt Total Percentage Quantity Pesticide (a.i. applied (a.i. kg/ha) kg) High hill 23.83 4 0.085 Hill 114.4 20 0.314 Terai 342.4 59 0.995 Valley 94.22 17 0.470 Total 574.9 100 - PPD, 2015 Regional Scenario

Regions Total Percentage Quantity(a.i pesticides .kg/ha) applied(kg) FWDR 31.27 5.43 0.146

MWDR 45.66 7.94 0.225 WDR 66.35 11.53 0.276 CDR 261.50 45.48 1.015 EDR 170.19 29.62 0.616 Total 574.97 100

PPD, 2015 Pesticide Consumption by Crop

Crops Total Quantity Total Area Pesticide (a.i.kg/ha) (ha) a.i.kg Cereals 43.975 953.379 0.046125 Vegetables 513.967 320.290 1.604693 Cash Crops 12.921 69.266 0.186542 Pulses 2.178 42.916 0.05075 Fruits 1.952 66.880 0.029187 Total 574.993 1452.730

PPD, 2015 Areas of pesticide problems in Nepal • Overdose and frequent application of pesticides in cotton, tea and commercial vegetable farming areas along with cocktail spray • Use of insecticide particularly endosulfan for killing fish in stream and ponds-fisherman’s practice. • Use of insecticide particularly DDT in the past and dichlorvos and at present for the control of the head louse – public practice. • Use of insecticide particularly endosulfan on cattle body for the control of mange. • Use of pesticide treated grains ( supposed to be dumped or buried) for making alcohol (local wine) and also for feeding horses in remote districts. Contd….

• Dipping green vegetables particularly broad leaf mustard, tomatoes and brinjal ( eggplant) in malathion solution in the evening to keep it fresh and shiny looking and taking the product in the market next morning-farmer’s practice. • Dipping tomatoes and brinjal (egg plant) in mancozeb solution just before taking it in the market to keep it fresh and shiny looking- farmer’s practice. • Spraying on body surface of fish to keep flies while displaying it on the shop for selling-trader’s practice. • Throwing away date expired pesticides and empty containers in public area (green ground, open area), local streams and drainage/sewage without any hesitation-general practice. • Use of fumigants particularly phosphide in the locally made mud bins with loose cover that are kept either in bedroom or in storeroom adjacent to bedroom

Routine base spray

• No any disease and pests infestation Unsound disposal Pesticides selling together with foods. Pesticides are mixing near water source.

Farmer mixing pesticides with barren hand.

Acute poisoning

Pesticide bottles in the river

Preparing to mix pesticides with vegetables( Tomatoes)

Farmer mixing pesticides by barren hand with fertilizer. Share of pesticides

Share of chemical pesticide

[VALUE]

Vegetable Other crops 85

Sharma et al., 2015 Use of pesticides by farmers

Source: Sharma, 2015 Use of different pesticides

Sharma et al., 2014 Sharma et al., 2014 Pesticides used by WHO classification

Source: Sharma, 2015 Source of advice

Source: Sharma, 2013 Protective measures used during application of pesticides

(% farmers) S.N. Districts Name of Types of Protective measures Protectiv Pockets e measures Mask Cloth Boot Gloves used 1 Bara Bhali- 8 18 2 2 30 Bhalbariha Raghunathpur 10 26 0 4 40 2 Dhading Kewaltar 24 8 4 0 36 Benighat 8 24 8 0 40 3 Kavre Nala 36 12 8 4 60 Kusadevi 24 12 0 4 40 Overall 18.33 16.66 3.66 2.33 41 Source: Sharma, 2013 Bad Habits also lead to

• Nine percent farmers eat or drink during application of pesticides in study areas.

Farmer used to eat/drink during handling of pesticides

9%

Eat/drink 91% Does not eat/drink

Source: Sharma, 2013 Pattern of use of remaining pesticides also lead to Pesticide Poisoning

Source: Sharma, 2013 Perceptions of farmers about the name of pesticides for control of pest.

S.N. Districts Name of Pockets Farmer's Perceptions Bisadi( Poison) Ausadhi ( Medicine) 1 Bara Bhali-Bhalbariha 41(82) 9(18) Raghunathpur 32(64) 18(36) Tatal 73(73) 27(27) 2 Dhading Kewaltar 22(88) 3(12) Benighat 15(60) 10(40) Tatal 37(74) 13(26) 3 Kavre Nala 22(88) 3(12) Kusadevi 17(68) 8(32) Tatal 39(78) 11(22) Overall 149(74.5) 51(25.5) Figures in parenthesis indicates percentage Source: Sharma, 2013 Careless of farmers which barrier to trade

Sharma, 2015 Farmer's practices while buying the pesticides

Aspect of pesticide focus Ecologica l zone Districts Effectiveness of Adverse effect of Adverse Label contain Expiry date of pesticides pesticide to control the pesticides on human effects of pesticide on target pests health environment Freque Frequency % Frequency % Frequency % % Frequency % ncy Terai Bara 43 43 92 92 18 18 17 17 84 84

43 43 92 92 18 18 17 17 84 84 Terai Total Mid hills Dhading 17 34 23 46 1 2 0 0 34 68 Kavre 10 20 29 58 1 2 1 2 12 24

27 27 52 52 2 2 1 1 46 46 Mid hills total Grand Sharma, 2015 70 35 144 72 20 10 18 9 130 65 Total Symptom noticed by farmers.

Source: Sharma, 2013 Pesticides disposal practices

1% 1%

18% 31%

Put oil Store food 49% Burn/bury Throw away Sell to market

Source: Sharma, 2013 Some fact of poisoning cont….

• Developing countries use 25 percent of the world’s production of pesticides but have 99 percent of pesticide-related deaths. In rural areas, the percentages of suicides which involve pesticides are: - 60 percent in China, - 71 percent in Sri-Lanka, - more than 90 percent in Malaysia, - 68 percent in Trinidad and - 30 percent in India. (Brian, 2005). • According to WHO, three million acute poisoning cases with 2, 20,000 deaths occur annually throughout the world. Out of these 90 percent of poisoning cases belongs to developing countries particularly among agricultural workers (Dhavai et al, 2011). Efforts of PQPMC to Manage Pesticides

• Enforced Pesticide Act/Regulation • Adoption of International code of conduct. • Register the imported pesticides • Banning the pesticides • Deregistration of hazardous pesticides • Restriction to use of pesticides • Licensing to Agro vets • Rapid Bio-assay Residue Analysis of pesticides Laboratory establish for pesticide monitoring and implementation of regulation. • Awareness campaign on right use of pesticides. • Celebrate No Pesticide Use Week. • Capacity development on management of pesticides to officials and farmers. • Regulation of SPS measures .

Regulation on Pesticide management

• A NEW PESTICIDE MANAGEMENT ACT 2075 IS APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT • A NEW PESTICIDE MANAGEMENT ACT 2075 IS IN THE PROCESS OF APPROVE FROM UPPER HOUSE. Main points proposed in to the new Pesticide Act 2075 • Definition of pesticide harmonized as FAO code of conduct. • Provision of registration of bio-pesticides and gave priority to register bio- pesticides. • Provision of facilitate warehouse for storing the date expire, band and obsoleted pesticides in 7 province. • Date expire, band and other spoiled pesticides should bring back in the same company(country) by importer. • Producers are also given responsibility about no residue products produce and bring in to the market. • Provision of pesticide quality and research laboratory establishment. • Provision of disposal of safe pesticides. • Provision of province pesticide committee. • Provision on punishment: Minimum: 25 thousands and one month prison. Maximum: 2 lakhs and one year prison.

Conclusion and Recommendations

• PQPMC implement Pesticide Act/Regulation for pesticide management in the country. • Hazardous pesticides are banding and need to be banned. • Discourage to use WHO Ia and Ib class pesticides. • Large scale mass campaign should be carried out to make farmer aware of the potential harm to the human health and the environment. • Organize intensively training about the safe handling of pesticides to the Agro vets and farmers. • The alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides (mostly biological means) should be encouraged for pest suppression in agriculture. • The governments should give emphasis on research and extension activities related to IPM and continuity of IPM program for minimizing the use of chemical pesticides. • The pesticide regulations should be enforced properly. • The agricultural extension workers should have proper training in crop protection especially about the safe handling of pesticides. • OP Group, and pesticides should not be sold without prescriptions. • Minimize the poisoning cases by advocacy about proper handling the pesticides. • New Pesticide Act has been tabled in parliament and hopefully implement very soon. • New pesticides Act will encourage to solve some problems of pesticides and minimize the haphazard use of pesticides. .