Pesticide commission bans 28 hazardous active chemicals

Pesticide commission bans 28 hazardous active chemicals

JAKARTA (JP): The National Pesticide Commission has decided to
ban pesticides containing one or more of the 28 active chemicals
identified as being hazardous to people's health and harmful to
the environment.

The commission's secretary, Daryanto, said the ban would be
applied by stopping the registration of new brands containing
such chemicals and by rejecting the extension of expired licenses
of brands already on the market.

The extension of licenses for the production of pesticides is
carried out once every five years.

Daryanto said the decision was stipulated in a decree issued
by the minister of Agriculture on June 17, 1996.

According to Antara, 54 brands of pesticides currently contain
one or more of these chemicals.

Daryanto explained that previously, a presidential instruction
issued in 1986 stipulated that the chemicals were only banned
from being used for rice crops, but were allowed for other kinds
of vegetation.

"But now they are not allowed for any plants at all, including
those grown on plantations," Daryanto said.

He said, however, that the pesticides could be used for other
purposes, such as in fish ponds, wood-preservation companies and
insect repellents.

The government's decision to ban the chemicals, he said, was
taken because pesticide producers have now discovered safer and
more effective chemicals to replace the hazardous substances.

Daryanto said that brands whose licenses had expired before
the decree was issued should finish their stocks within one year.

Meanwhile, brands whose licenses were still valid at the time
of the decree's issuance were ordered to finish their stocks a
year after their licenses expire.

Daryanto said that following these measures, any remaining
stocks should be removed from Indonesia or destroyed by the
owner, according to the rules on pesticides.

He contended that Indonesia's policies on pesticides were
reached after intensive research and after considering
recommendations from international agencies, taking into account
the experience of other countries. (pwn)