Agriculture Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid said that the indiscriminate use of pesticides is causing harm to both the environment and human health. To mitigate these impacts, he stressed the need to increase the use of biopesticides.
He made the remarks on Thursday, while addressing the 90th (special) meeting of the Pesticide Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) as the chief guest at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) in Farmgate, Dhaka. Dr Md Abdus Salam, chairman of BARC, chaired the meeting, while Agriculture Secretary Dr Rafiqul I Mohamed attended as the guest of honour.
Speaking at the event, the minister said that chemical pesticides are harmful to the environment and public health. “The use of any pesticide must be entirely science-based. Pesticide production, approval, marketing, and application should take into account the need to preserve healthy soil and aquatic ecosystems,” he emphasised. He called for greater emphasis on the production and use of biopesticides, as well as wider adoption of natural pest-control methods.
Discussing the government’s plans for the agricultural sector, the minister said that transforming agriculture into an export-oriented sector could permanently strengthen the country’s economy. “The government’s objective is to develop agriculture on an industrial scale for export markets. To achieve this, Bangladesh must first assure the global market that agricultural products produced in the country aren’t harmful to human health,” he added.
The minister further noted that Bangladesh possesses some of the world’s most favourable natural conditions, including sunlight, air, rainfall, and fertile soil, for producing highly nutritious and flavourful fruits and vegetables. But he said it was unfortunate that the country had not yet been able to fully realise this potential.
Addressing pesticide management in the country, he said, “Pesticide quality control mechanisms are in place. But the existing quality-control procedures and the stages at which they are conducted must be suitable for meeting international market requirements. A clean environment is essential for protecting the health of today’s children and future generations.” To ensure heavy-metal-free soil and the production of safe food, he said, the current methods of pesticide quality control and market approval should be reviewed to determine whether they are adequate and effective.