The Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers presented its report on ‘Insecticides and Pesticides – Promotion and Development including Safe Usage – Licensing Regime for Insecticides’ on December 19, 2023. Pesticides are broadly of four types: insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and bio-pesticides. Herbicides kill/control the growth of weeds, and have the …
Exporters seek govt help as a close vigil by the US raises costs and obstructs sales Basmati rice exports to the US have plunged because many Indian firms are under an import alert by the US authorities, leading to a detailed scrutiny for pesticide residue in every grain being shipped …
Traditional Chinese herbs are being contaminated with a toxic cocktail of pesticides that poses a threat to consumer health and the environment, campaign group Greenpeace said Monday. Some residue levels were hundreds of times higher than European Union food safety standards, according to tests carried out for a Greenpeace report …
The Kerala Agricultural University has found “dangerous levels” of pesticide residue in key vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, vegetable cowpea ( achinga ), amaranthus red, small red onions, tomatoes, green chillies and curry leaves, among others. The residue includes that of the banned Profenofos, which falls into the yellow category (second …
A tiny black bug had caused much grief to banana farmers in the State but a successful trial has kindled hope that cultivation can be carried out without fear of pests or of the cost or side-effects of hazardous chemical pesticides. Named ‘Nanma’ by researchers at the Central Tuber Crops …
Amid reports of contamination of food products in China, UN's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has expressed concerns over pollution and food safety issues in the world's second largest economy. "We're concerned about pollution in general," Graziano da Silva, director-general of the FAO said. "We have seen a lot of …
Unscientific disposal of sewage and pesticide residue from farmlands have contributed to organic pollution and chemical contamination of surface and groundwater resources in four river basins across the State, namely Valapattanam in Kannur, Kallada in Kollam, Keecheri-Puzhakkal in Thrissur, and Chandragiri in Kasaragod district. An environmental monitoring programme on water …
MANGALORE: The Endosulfan Virodhi Horatha Samiti, which has decided to hold a protest at Freedom Park in Bangalore on June 7, has postponed its protest. The samiti has decided to wait and watch till July 15 following assurances from health and family welfare minister UT Khader. Samithi president Sridhar Gowda …
Wal-Mart has been hit with $110 million in U.S. federal and State fines after pleading guilty to criminal charges of mishandling hazardous waste and pesticides at its retail stores. The world’s largest retailer was fined for dumping hazardous chemicals in city trash bins and sewer systems in cases filed by …
If Delhi government has to make sure that residents don’t eat pesticide laced food, it will have to push neighboring states to reduce their pesticide usage. Most of Delhi’s fruits and vegetables come from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Agricultural experts say that while High Court-appointed panel’s recommendations on …
New Delhi: A Central government panel has recommended stringent checks for pesticides in fruits and vegetables, including imported ones. Submitting a report before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath on Wednesday, the panel — led by a health ministry official — is for intensive monitoring …
Senior district officials led by District Collector P. S. Mohammed Sagir on Friday visited Nanjanpara locality amid reports that barrels of the banned endosulfan pesticide were either buried or drained in the locality. The team inspected the stream where barrels containing the pesticide were suspected to have been concealed or …
Vyttila, North Paravoor & Parakkadavu Blocks Most Affected Kochi: A study conducted by the groundwater department has detected high presence of metals and chemicals in the wells in the district. Lead, cadmium, sodium and nitrate were found in the observation wells of the department. The study stated that the depletion …
A section of women self-help groups growing vegetables at Bahour in Puducherry had switched to organic fertilizers due to the growing demand for organically grown crops. But the transformation to eco-friendly practices was not complete as they had to bank on chemical pesticides. Their wait ended with the state bio-control …
Rapeseed production is likely to fall in the European Union, top grower of the oilseed, from the 2015 harvest after the bloc voted to protect bees by banning three of the most widely used pesticides. The EU has decided to restrict from December 1 the use of a class of …
A new federal report blames a combination of problems for a mysterious and dramatic disappearance of honeybees across the United States since 2006. The multiple causes make it harder to do something about what is called colony collapse disorder, experts say. The disorder has caused as much as one-third of …
One of the notable details of Monday's landmark ruling to ban the use of some neonicotinoid pesticides across the European Union was Germany's vote in favour. Germany hosts chemical giant Bayer, which makes the most widely used neonicotinoid, but switched from its previous abstention. This move was entirely in line …
Stockholm convention approves non-chemical as well as chemical alternatives The Conference of Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, meeting in Geneva, approved non-chemical as well as chemical alternatives to endosulfan on Thursday. The non-chemical alternatives were proposed in a significant departure from past practice. The evaluation of …
Dutch research reveals correlation between water polluted with imidacloprid and low numbers of aquatic insects The world's most widely used insecticide is devastating dragonflies, snails and other water-based species, a groundbreaking Dutch study has revealed. On Monday, the insecticide and two others were banned for two years from use on …
Says Punjab, Haryana have failed to cut down on use of pesticides In Punjab, one person succumbs to cancer every minute-and-a-half. On an average, 18 persons die of cancer everyday. But these statistics may soon change. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for remedial measures after taking cognisance …
The European Union will ban three of the world's most widely-used pesticides for two years because of fears they are linked to a plunge in the population of bees critical to the production of crops. The executive European Commission said on Monday it would press ahead with the ban on …
