According to the Nepal Vegetable Crops Survey 2009/10, eight percent of vegetable farmers use organic pesticides while 92 percent use chemical pesticides. The use of the latter is highest in the Central Development Region—71 percent in the Central Tarai and 53 in the Central Hills. In districts like Bara, Chitwan, Dhading and Kavre, farmers have been found to be spraying pesticides as many as five to six times a year. In most cases, farmers haphazardly use pesticides to kill insects and unwanted weed on farms. This not only harms the environment in unwanted ways but also puts the health of farmers at risk. Research has found that greater exposure to pesticides increases the risk of cancers of the brain and liver. Furthermore, many farmers either do not know of or care about the waiting period—the amount of time producers must wait after the application of the pesticide before harvesting the crop. During this period, if the pesticide has only been used in the directed amount, it is harmless and ready for consumption. But plucking them in a hurry puts the health of consumers at great risk.

Against this backdrop, the inauguration of the Rapid Pesticide Residue Analysis Laboratory at the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market, the largest wholesale bazaar of its kind in the Valley, on Wednesday is welcome news. The laboratory, under the Plant Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Agricultural Development, has a spectrophotometer, a device used for detecting the remains of pesticides in fruits and vegetables. It can provide results within half an hour and the plan is to ban the sale of agricultural produce which contain high traces of pesticides.

While the establishment of a long due laboratory is welcome, the harmful use of pesticides must be nipped in the bud. The Vegetable Development Directorate under the Agriculture Ministry should collaborate with the Department of Food Testing and Quality Control to inform farmers about the right way to use pesticides and their harmful effects. Farmers should also be encouraged to use more plants as pesticides and animal waste to fertilise the soil as and when feasible. The Plant Directorate should give a thought to establishing labs similar to that in Kalimati in districts that produce large amounts of vegetables. As for consumers, purchasing vegetables from small vendors who do not store them and thoroughly washing them before cooking can help remove chemical traces.