New pesticide rules on ministry’s agenda

ANKARA - Radikal

The Agriculture Ministry is analyzing roducts grown in fields, gardens, and green houses for residual pesticides. The ministry plans to revise its list of pesticides. Hürriyet photo

The Agriculture Ministry has rolled up its sleeves and has begun studying agricultural pesticides in order to institute new regulations for their use. According to the findings of the study, a number of chemical pesticides are expected to be completely banned, while others will be replaced with alternative products.

Every year many of Turkey’s agricultural products destined for export are sent back to Turkey because they contain the residue of pesticides. In order to address this problem, the ministry has embarked on an analysis of agricultural products grown in fields, gardens, and greenhouses and will revise its list of acceptable agricultural pesticides allowed for use in Turkey.

Since the beginning of June, Turkish pharmacies have been allowed to sell agricultural pesticides, which is causing quite a stir at the Chamber of Agriculture Engineers, who argue that this could be harmful to human health. The president of the Chamber of Agriculture Engineers, Dr. Turhan Tuncer, told daily Radikal that these pesticides should only be sold by experts in the field, and that pharmacies were not appropriate venues for the distribution of such products.