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In recent years, Malaysia's fruit orchards and
market gardens have been enjoying bountiful
harvest and consequently the export of fruit and
greens has been on the rise. However, there are
concerns that the use of pesticides is partly
responsible for this success story. Pesticide
use has increased by six-fold from 40 million
tons in 1978 to 250 million tons in 1993. The
import of pesticide has also increased and
currently about one billion dollars worth is
being imported annually. Pesticides endanger
health. They poison the body because they change
the speed of various bodily functions such as
the heart rate which may either accelerate or
decrease. They may cause cancer - tumors in the
liver, pancreas and thyroid that may sometimes
affect the reproductive organs. If small
quantities are ingested over time, death may not
occur but health deteriorates rapidly.
Pesticide contamination occurs in several
ways: residue on greens and fruit, leaching of
pesticides into the water-table thus affecting
the water that we drink, through the air, and
through direct contact with the skin.
The use of pesticides in Malaysia is
regulated by the Pesticides Board of Malaysia.
Its standards are stringent and to date it has
banned the use of nine pesticides including DDT
where the effects on the environment can last
for almost ten years. The Board also sets the
maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticide
residue on crops and fruit. Farmers are required
to adhere to these regulations strictly as well
as follow guidelines to allow for a chemical
withdrawal period before the produce is
harvested. Enforcement also includes checking on
the quality of the product in terms of
impurities which are present in compounds.
Random checks on samples of greens in various
wholesale outlets in the country are carried out
by the Health Ministry. A chemical analysis
procedure is used and the entire process of a
complete analysis can take as long as six hours.
MARDI and other bodies are currently conducting
experiments on several methods that can detect
residue rapidly and at the same time be
cost-effective.
Countries importing fresh produce have also
stepped up their vigilance. Singaporean
authorities, for example, have set up a counter
at the Causeway to carry out random checks on
vegetable consignments from Malaysia. An order
was issued to the effect that from 1 July 1999,
if 20% of consignments exceed MRLs within a
month, a blanket ban will be imposed on the
import of vegetables from that particular
country.
While standards may have been stepped up for
the export market, there have been many
complaints from Malaysians that there does not
seem to be similar efforts made on produce for
the domestic market. When Singapore, for
example, rejected cabbage from Cameron Highlands
in 1998, authorities started to check for
pesticides in exports but not for vegetables
sold locally.
The use of pesticides can be drastically
reduced if more environment-friendly methods of
farming and integrated pest management are
carried out. Thus organic farming and the use of
natural predators such as spiders, parasites and
other genetically-engineered organisms can be
made popular. However, as with pesticides, there
are stringent guidelines in deciding whether
such biological agents can be brought into the
country. At the moment, there is virtually no
infrastructure or trained staff to carry out the
enforcement.
Farmers, distributors and exporters need to
be educated about the use and abuse of
pesticides. In this respect, the Health
Ministry, the Federal Agriculture Marketing
Authority (FAMA), and the Malaysian Vegetable
Farmers Association organized a nationwide
roadshow. How successful they are in their
efforts remains to be seen but the public would
be more assured if enforcement efforts could be
stepped up and maintained. After all, farmers
are also motivated by the bottom line. |
