Dear Editor,
The recent swirl of opinions in the media over the use of pesticide and fertilizer usage on Rupununi mega-farm highlights the fact that there is widespread misunderstanding because of the impact it could have on the environment. Problems caused by the use of chemicals and fertilizers in the cultivation of rice cover a very wide range of activities.
Aside from the problems of toxicity, the environmental consequences of continuous use of high quantities of pesticides are well-known: pollution of land and marine environments and aquifers; and the reduction of bio-diversity with possible extinctions, especially in fragile marine and estuarine environments. It is said that Guyana is one of the most pesticide-polluted marine environments in the world. In addition, residues in the produce we eat pose a risk to human health.
Chemicals which will no doubt be used for the production of rice in the Rupununi are nitrogen (urea) phosphorous (TSP) and potassium; these are considered the primary plant food elements. Nitrogen is the most common nutrient for rice production in Guyana except in soils deficient in some other element; phosphorous is the next. Unlike nitrogen, however, it accumulates in the soil after repeated applications. Potassium should be confined to the riverain areas.
Rice is one the heaviest users of pesticides, as insects and weeds pose the greatest threat to a rice crop. Agrochemicals which are abused in the cultivation of paddy include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, nematicides, etc. Although much is said about genetically engineered crops which are resistant to pests or diseases and so in theory do not require intensive pesticide interventions, these are not yet commercially available. The pesticides business is still expanding therefore, and developing countries represent a major market.
In Guyana, guidelines for the safe application of chemicals are not enshrined in law. Since there is no law governing pesticide and fertilizer application, there will be no official surveillance on the mega-farm in the Rupununi.
In countries such as the USA where regulations are not only strict but also enforced, serious infringements of the rules result in fines or even imprisonment.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan