Health Minister insists against the ongoing use of toxic chemicals 

Anutin Charnvirakul, the Public Health Minister, and Dr Sukhum Karnchanapimai, the Permanent Secretary, are standing firm on the ban on 3 toxic agricultural chemicals after Chalermchai Sri-on, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, proposed a revision of the ban to the National Hazardous Substances Committee (NHSC). 

Anutin stated on 31 August that the Ministry of Public Health insisted on the ban on paraquat, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate. He also asked for postponement of the ban on glyphosate to be reconsidered.

He emphasized the danger of the chemicals established by scientific studies and medical diagnoses and pleaded with those who were trying to obstruct the process to stop their activities immediately. 

“The Ministry of Public Health wishes to adopt the same principles that the government is currently using to manage the Covid-19 situation which have been effective and globally recognized. The important principle is that the health of Thai people must come first. … Even though there might be some negative impact on the economy, the Thai people must have good health and be safe from all diseases,” said Anutin.

Dr Sukhum underlined the collaboration between the Ministry of Public Health and their campaign allies on this issue has moved in one direction to reach the ultimate goal of the chemical ban. 

The tension and disagreement between the two ministries reflect the clash of interests between economics and health. Research has proved that all three chemicals are toxic, yet farmers are still unable to find proper chemical substitutes. 

The Ministry of Health proposed to the NHSC a ban on all three harmful chemicals and eventually NHSC agreed to ban paraquat and chlorpyrifos and to restrict the use of glyphosate. The ban has been in effect since December 1st, 2019. 

This has concerned importers of agricultural inputs and farmers who could not find substitutes for the banned chemicals, so the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives strongly opposed the ban. 

A study conducted by Asst Prof Pornpimol Kongtip, a lecturer at the Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, found large accumulations of pesticides in pregnant women that could have harmful effects on infants and their development. 

Another study by Puangrat Kajitvichyanukul, a researcher at the Faculty of Engineering, Naresuan University, revealed paraquat contamination in food, beverages and the environment. 

Thai PBS reported that in 2017, Thailand imported 3,816 million baht worth of paraquat. 53 countries have already banned the use of paraquat.

Several changes in the ban have led to confusion and no final answer for farmers. 

Source: Matichon

Since 2007, Prachatai English has been covering underreported issues in Thailand, especially about democratization and human rights, despite the risk and pressure from the law and the authorities. However, with only 2 full-time reporters and increasing annual operating costs, keeping our work going is a challenge. Your support will ensure we stay a professional media source and be able to expand our team to meet the challenges and deliver timely and in-depth reporting.

• Simple steps to support Prachatai English

1. Bank transfer to account “โครงการหนังสือพิมพ์อินเทอร์เน็ต ประชาไท” or “Prachatai Online Newspaper” 091-0-21689-4, Krungthai Bank

2. Or, Transfer money via Paypal, to e-mail address: [email protected], please leave a comment on the transaction as “For Prachatai English”