Govt may scrap pesticide labeling
Govt may scrap pesticide labeling
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah
said yesterday that the government may revoke, or postpone the
implementation of a ruling on pesticide labeling if it turns out
to be a burden to farmers.
Sjarifudin made the remarks at a hearing here yesterday with
members of the House of Representatives' commission for
agriculture and forestry.
He said earlier this month that in line with a ministerial
decree issued in November 1995, pesticides should bear hologram
stickers before the chemicals can be sold, in order to protect
users from fraudulent products.
The stickers are to be printed and distributed by a private
company, PT Aryo Seto.
But pesticide producers complained that the stickers would
create additional costs which, in turn, would have to be passed
on to farmers.
Sjarifudin said yesterday that pesticide and sticker producers
were still negotiating the terms and prices of the stickers.
"There has been no compromise yet, but the government does not
want farmers to suffer," he said.
He declined to mention a specific deadline for the
negotiations but acknowledged that the regulation may be canceled
if the negotiations prove to be unfavorable to farmers.
The decree is scheduled to come into effect in April.
Sjarifudin reaffirmed that the government issued the decree
last November to protect farmers from fraud.
"To this end, we are cooperating with groups or individuals
who can help us, such as the private company that has proposed to
produce and distribute the stickers," he said.
Pesticide producers, he said, are willing to attach the
stickers on large packages. "But they argue that the additional
costs are too high if they do so for smaller packages," he said.
Smaller packages, he argued, are the ones that farmers use
most, and which are therefore more vulnerable to fraud.
"We support any effort to guarantee pesticide products, but we
insist that farmers should not be the ones to bear the financial
burden," he said. (pwn)