Health Minister tells supporters of 3 controversial herbicides to spell out their merits

[webfact]

Health Minister tells supporters of 3 controversial herbicides to spell out their merits

 

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has challenged supporters of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos to spell out the merits of the chemicals to him directly.

 

“Why has nobody declared the benefits of the three substances and told us how good they are in a debate?  If they insist they are good because they are cheap and it does not matter whether people die or not, just say so.  Why do they have to pretend to be stupid?” said the Bhumjaithai party leader when asked whether he would talk with Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit about the matter.

 

As far as the Bhumjaithai party is concerned, Mr .Anutin confirmed that he and Deputy Agriculture Minister Ms. Mananya Thaiseth agree that the toxic weed killers must be banned outright for the safety of the public.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/health-minister-tells-supporters-of-3-controversial-herbicides-to-spell-out-their-merits/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2019-10-04

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[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has challenged supporters of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos to spell out the merits of the chemicals to him directly.

Being cynical, would that involve financial merits via brown envelopes I wonder?

[canuckamuck]

Nobody would get sick from glyphosate if they applied it properly and wore the right equipment. Education would go a long way here. I use a tenth the amount a chemical they use because they think you need to apply it with a fire hose when in fact a little dampness on the leaves is all that is required.

And they just wrap a cloth around their head for fumes, but don't wear gloves.

 

 

[canopy]

Well said Mr. Public Health Minister, well said. The tone against these chemicals sure has shifted quickly this year. This is a big win for the environment and the consumers. All poisons have side effects, both known and unknown. What we don't know about these chemicals is probably even worse than what we already know. I doubt hand pulling weeds will ever make a come back, but if it does just imagine all the jobs in Isaan it will create for the poor who have nothing and are unskilled. Wonderful.

 

[emptypockets]

4 hours ago, canopy said:

Well said Mr. Public Health Minister, well said. The tone against these chemicals sure has shifted quickly this year. This is a big win for the environment and the consumers. All poisons have side effects, both known and unknown. What we don't know about these chemicals is probably even worse than what we already know. I doubt hand pulling weeds will ever make a come back, but if it does just imagine all the jobs in Isaan it will create for the poor who have nothing and are unskilled. Wonderful.

 

Don't whine when the fruit and veggies you buy explode in price.

[canopy]

1 hour ago, emptypockets said:

Don't whine when the fruit and veggies you buy explode in price.

Are you kidding or are you a plant from the big chemical companies? Saving a baht to dump poisoned garbage down your throat is stupid. The health complications, sickness, and harm to the environment takes way more out of our wallets and robs us of quality of life and the earth around us. Thailand waking up to this and taking action is one of the most refreshing things I have read in a long time. Clean, local food on the shelves will be the best day of my life, like a kid in a candy store. Why is everyone so grumpy about such great news? You're basically saying you'd prefer to be as sick as a dog popping pills to compensate meanwhile gloating how you saved 5 baht on your veggies and the farmers are dying from applying these poisons dangerously like they do. What a sad, pathetic way to spend the short time we have here.

 

[UPDEHSOI]

7 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Nobody would get sick from glyphosate if they applied it properly and wore the right equipment. Education would go a long way here. I use a tenth the amount a chemical they use because they think you need to apply it with a fire hose when in fact a little dampness on the leaves is all that is required.

And they just wrap a cloth around their head for fumes, but don't wear gloves.

 

 

Sooo, you're saying it's okay to spray this stuff on your food...IF...you wear gloves and "the right equipment" while doing so? Should I wear gloves while eating said sprayed food?

[canuckamuck]

Just now, UPDEHSOI said:

Sooo, you're saying it's okay to spray this stuff on your food...IF...you wear gloves and "the right equipment" while doing so? Should I wear gloves while eating said sprayed food?

Talking about the application of it. Which is where the majority of health concerns are coming from. Generally you don't spray this stuff on food because that kills the plant. They do spray some GMO glyphosate resistant stuff though, that has to end.

[emptypockets]

3 hours ago, canopy said:

Are you kidding or are you a plant from the big chemical companies? Saving a baht to dump poisoned garbage down your throat is stupid. The health complications, sickness, and harm to the environment takes way more out of our wallets and robs us of quality of life and the earth around us. Thailand waking up to this and taking action is one of the most refreshing things I have read in a long time. Clean, local food on the shelves will be the best day of my life, like a kid in a candy store. Why is everyone so grumpy about such great news? You're basically saying you'd prefer to be as sick as a dog popping pills to compensate meanwhile gloating how you saved 5 baht on your veggies and the farmers are dying from applying these poisons dangerously like they do. What a sad, pathetic way to spend the short time we have here.

 

You have no idea what you are talking about. Farmers have been using chemicals for decades with no ill effects. I guess you think food comes from a supermarket.

Typical comments from the happy clapping tree hugging brigade.

I did not say anything about pill popping...you did.

What a sad pathetic post.

[Dap]

4 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Don't whine when the fruit and veggies you buy explode in price.

At least they won't be killing us 

[emptypockets]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Talking about the application of it. Which is where the majority of health concerns are coming from. Generally you don't spray this stuff on food because that kills the plant. They do spray some GMO glyphosate resistant stuff though, that has to end.

No argument from me.

[emptypockets]

1 minute ago, Dap said:

At least they won't be killing us 

They're not killing you now.

[Dap]

1 minute ago, emptypockets said:

They're not killing you now.

The countries that have already banned these poisons would disagree!

[Sunderland]

5 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Don't whine when the fruit and veggies you buy explode in price.

 

I think they already have. Not the best value in the world compared to the amount most people earn here.

[emptypockets]

22 minutes ago, Dap said:

The countries that have already banned these poisons would disagree!

Name the countries that have banned Glysophate. Very few I think.

Paraquat many have banned and I agree with that, basically agent orange with less one of the very bad chemicals.

 

Honestly all of you jumping on the bandwagon type people need to do some research or at least learn to think things through.

Banning Glyphosate will increase production costs enormously for everyone and will probably lead to the deaths by starvation of millions over time, as has the banning of DDT (due to malaria) based on dubious science. No problem, you can sleep sound at night knowing you have saved the planet ( as though the planet needs saving) while sentencing millions to death.

 

BUT the point you are missing is that Glyspohate is a HERBICIDE - IT KILLS PLANTS. YOU DO NOT EAT THEM AS THEY ARE DEAD.(sorry about shouting but it seems to be the only way people will listen). It is also non residual in the soil. People call it a poison but do you know how it works? Not a poison in the traditional sense but a chemical that stops the photosynthesis process in the green material in plants. they basically die from hunger to keep it simple. Cover a plant in a black plastic back and the result is the same. It can no longer process sunlight.

 

THE BIGGER issue is the ongoing use of pesticides. These are the ones sprayed onto food crops that you may eat.

Can you see the difference??

 

If not, then there is little hope for you.

[emptypockets]

10 minutes ago, Sunderland said:

 

I think they already have. Not the best value in the world compared to the amount most people earn here.

Give it a year or two after glysophate is banned. Most people I know grow their own. Its, generally speaking,  mostly the commercial farmers feeding city folks who use the chemicals. They will either have to employ many, many more people to pull weeds (not going to happen) or accept a production loss and so a market shortage which will force prices up a very,very big amount.

[Oziex1]

6 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Don't whine when the fruit and veggies you buy explode in price.

I'm happy to pay don't need produce full of toxins.

[rickudon]

As someone who grows organically here, I can say it is bloody hard - much harder than in the UK. I lose about 50% of what I grow to pests and diseases, and it takes me about 10 times longer to clear weeds manually than if I sprayed, (because for half the year it is too hot to grow successfully and in the wet season soil is like porridge and unworkable, but the weeds grow like crazy). If I used pesticides and herbicides, I could plant up about 4 times more land and grow twice as much per rai. Currently I am unable to grow enough to even feed myself.

 

Now, if I say that I work the garden 25% of the day, and that labour is worth 75 baht (25% of daily wage 300 baht) then the 6 month growing season is worth 13,500 baht in labour other costs -say 500 baht. So 14,000 baht gets me about one third of the vegetables I eat, in a 6 month period. So if all my veg were grown this way, with purely manual labour, by someone else, using the same methods, it would cost about 85,000 baht a year - just for vegetables …..

 

Obviously a commercial organic grower would use mechanical aids and be more efficient. But currently I spend only about 1000 baht a month on fresh veg (when I do not grow). This would double, or triple if only organic was bought, I think.

 

I would ban paraquat and chlorpyrifos now, but keep glyphosate for now. If you ban that as well, most farmers will struggle to adapt.

 

As for providing work for the Isaan poor pulling weeds, very few will do it, and certainly not for 300 baht a day! Organic vegetable growing really requires a much more capital intensive approach to work successfully here - e.g. hydroponics or growing in a regulated environment.

[Dap]

1 hour ago, emptypockets said:

Name the countries that have banned Glysophate. Very few I think.

Paraquat many have banned and I agree with that, basically agent orange with less one of the very bad chemicals.

 

Honestly all of you jumping on the bandwagon type people need to do some research or at least learn to think things through.

Banning Glyphosate will increase production costs enormously for everyone and will probably lead to the deaths by starvation of millions over time, as has the banning of DDT (due to malaria) based on dubious science. No problem, you can sleep sound at night knowing you have saved the planet ( as though the planet needs saving) while sentencing millions to death.

 

BUT the point you are missing is that Glyspohate is a HERBICIDE - IT KILLS PLANTS. YOU DO NOT EAT THEM AS THEY ARE DEAD.(sorry about shouting but it seems to be the only way people will listen). It is also non residual in the soil. People call it a poison but do you know how it works? Not a poison in the traditional sense but a chemical that stops the photosynthesis process in the green material in plants. they basically die from hunger to keep it simple. Cover a plant in a black plastic back and the result is the same. It can no longer process sunlight.

 

THE BIGGER issue is the ongoing use of pesticides. These are the ones sprayed onto food crops that you may eat.

Can you see the difference??

 

If not, then there is little hope for you.

Please excuse the upload error as I am not familiar with the process.

Austria: In July 2019 the Austrian Parliament voted in favor of banning glyphosate completely in the country.

Belgium: In October 2018 the ban on the sale of broad-spectrum herbicides (including glyphosate) to non-professional users entered in to force across Belgium.

Czech Republic: In 2018 the Czech Republic put strict restrictions on the use of glyphosate and banned pre-harvest spraying; “These substances (glyphosate-based herbicides) will only be employed in cases when no other efficient method can be used,” Agriculture Minister Miroslav Toman said.

Denmark: In July 2018, the Danish government implemented new rules banning the use of glyphosate on all post-emergent crops to avoid residues on foods.

France: In 2017 France banned the use of glyphosate and all other pesticides in public green spaces. In November 2018 President Macron said he would take all measures necessary to ensure that glyphosate-based herbicides are banned in France as soon as an alternative is available and at the latest within three years. However, he has since stated that this deadline may only be 80% met.

Italy: In August 2016 Italy’s Ministry of Health banned the use of glyphosate in public areas and also as a pre-harvest spray.

The Netherlands: From the end of 2015 the sale of glyphosate-based herbicides has been banned to all non-business entities.

Africa:

Malawi: Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development announced the suspension of import permits for glyphosate in April 2019.

Asia:

Vietnam: Vietnam announced that it banned the import of all glyphosate-based herbicides with in March 2019 following a cancer trial verdict from San Francisco

Sri Lanka: In 2015 a full import ban on all glyphosate-based herbicides was put in place by the then newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena. This ban was partly lifted in July 2018 but only for use on tea and rubber plantations.

Six Middle Eastern countries banned the import and use of glyphosate-based herbicides in coordination with each other in 2015 and 2016:

• Oman
• Saudi Arabia
• Kuwait
• United Arab Emirates
• Bahrain
• Qatar

Central America:

Bermuda: Bermuda’s Environment Minister Cole Simons confirmed the ban on glyphosate-based herbicides at a public meeting in January 2017.

St Vincent and the Grenadines: In August 2018 Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar called on all stakeholders to be understanding of the new suspension on glyphosate-based herbicides “in light of the nation’s quest to promote a safe working environment and good agricultural health and food safety practices.”

 

[canuckamuck]

2 hours ago, Dap said:

Please excuse the upload error as I am not familiar with the process.

Austria: In July 2019 the Austrian Parliament voted in favor of banning glyphosate completely in the country.

Belgium: In October 2018 the ban on the sale of broad-spectrum herbicides (including glyphosate) to non-professional users entered in to force across Belgium.

Czech Republic: In 2018 the Czech Republic put strict restrictions on the use of glyphosate and banned pre-harvest spraying; “These substances (glyphosate-based herbicides) will only be employed in cases when no other efficient method can be used,” Agriculture Minister Miroslav Toman said.

Denmark: In July 2018, the Danish government implemented new rules banning the use of glyphosate on all post-emergent crops to avoid residues on foods.

France: In 2017 France banned the use of glyphosate and all other pesticides in public green spaces. In November 2018 President Macron said he would take all measures necessary to ensure that glyphosate-based herbicides are banned in France as soon as an alternative is available and at the latest within three years. However, he has since stated that this deadline may only be 80% met.

Italy: In August 2016 Italy’s Ministry of Health banned the use of glyphosate in public areas and also as a pre-harvest spray.

The Netherlands: From the end of 2015 the sale of glyphosate-based herbicides has been banned to all non-business entities.

Africa:

Malawi: Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development announced the suspension of import permits for glyphosate in April 2019.

Asia:

Vietnam: Vietnam announced that it banned the import of all glyphosate-based herbicides with in March 2019 following a cancer trial verdict from San Francisco

Sri Lanka: In 2015 a full import ban on all glyphosate-based herbicides was put in place by the then newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena. This ban was partly lifted in July 2018 but only for use on tea and rubber plantations.

Six Middle Eastern countries banned the import and use of glyphosate-based herbicides in coordination with each other in 2015 and 2016:

• Oman
• Saudi Arabia
• Kuwait
• United Arab Emirates
• Bahrain
• Qatar

Central America:

Bermuda: Bermuda’s Environment Minister Cole Simons confirmed the ban on glyphosate-based herbicides at a public meeting in January 2017.

St Vincent and the Grenadines: In August 2018 Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar called on all stakeholders to be understanding of the new suspension on glyphosate-based herbicides “in light of the nation’s quest to promote a safe working environment and good agricultural health and food safety practices.”

 

Not very many,

[canopy]

16 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Farmers have been using chemicals for decades with no ill effects.

What a gem that is. I hate to be the one to tell you, but it is you who don't know what you are talking about. These chemicals and poisons sicken us and the environment. And you do know that farmers are dying from improper use of these chemicals. So just go on with life enjoy your cheap food, getting stick, and ignore all the killing of the poor people who die growing it for you.

 

Side effects of exposure to agrichemicals:

 

poisoning

headache

nausea 

vomiting

diarrhoea

pinpoint pupils

dizziness

fine muscle twitching

increased bronchial and lacrimal secretions

skin rashes and irritation

chemical burns.

 

Some long-term effects of chemical exposure can include:

 

increased risk of some cancers

birth defects

diseases of the lungs, liver or kidneys

nervous system disorders.