Read the story in Nepali: खेतबारीमा जथाभावी घातक विषादी, मानव स्वास्थ्यमा हानि
Farmers are increasing their use of deadly pesticides in the fields. According to data from the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, pesticide use is growing by 10% every year. This increasing use of pesticides is not only having a serious impact on human health but also on the environment and the ecosystem.
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In Bhaktapur's Changunarayan Municipality-8, Deepak Raj Jaisi from Bajura has been farming tomatoes in a tunnel on rented land for the past two years. He uses chemical fertilizers and applies pesticides for three months, from mid-April to mid-July.
Similarly, Aatmaram Budhathoki from Dang, who has been farming vegetables, including tomatoes, on 10 ropanis of rented land in Gundu, Suryabinayak for the past one-and-a-half years, says he sprays pesticides two to three times a week due to a heavy pest infestation. He says he spends up to 35,000 rupees on pesticides each year.
A farmer from Panauti Municipality, Sita Dahal, says that pests have become stronger than the crops, and production is not possible without using pesticides. She says, "We use five different types of pesticides on tomatoes. When the pesticides we spray weekly don't work, we use stronger ones."
The trend of farmers immediately reaching for pesticides as soon as they see pests has increased. According to the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, pesticide use is increasing by 10% every year. This growing use of pesticides is having a serious impact not only on human health but also on the environment and the ecosystem.
Kashinath Chilwal, an entomologist at the National Entomology Research Centre, says that when farmers use chemical pesticides indiscriminately, it kills natural predatory insects and increases the risk of new pests that can easily tolerate even strong pesticides.
Bhojraj Sapkota, the head of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, says that bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes are the crops in which the most pesticides are used in major agricultural areas.
According to the National Agriculture Census, 2078, the growth of crop diseases and pests in Nepal has recently reached 60.8%. The number of farming households that use pesticides on their crops is 26.7%. The census also states that out of 4.131 million farming households, 62% are farmers.
About 23% of farmers use chemical fertilizers on vegetables. About 53% use safe pesticides on vegetables. Recently, 232,836 farmers have been using pesticides on corn, wheat, and potatoes.
According to entomologist Kashinath, pests like the tomato leaf miner, armyworm, paddy plant hopper, and woolly aphids on apples are all pests that have come from other countries. "The increase in the amount and use of strong pesticides has made these pests even stronger," says Kashinath.
Sita Dahal, a farmer from Panauti, has experience with pests like the tomato leaf miner, blight, and aphids plaguing her tomatoes. She says she uses pesticides available in the market to get rid of these pests and diseases. She also mentions using chemical agents to make the tomatoes red and appealing before taking them to the market.
Sumitra Adhikari, a farmer and ward member of Panauti Municipality-10, says that using pesticides is not a choice but a compulsion. "It's difficult to produce the kind of attractive and high-quality tomatoes and vegetables that traders look for without using pesticides," she says. "Farmers are forced to use pesticides just to get a market for their produce."
Jeevan KC of Lalitpur-22, who has been farming vegetables for the past 12 years, also says it has become difficult to produce crops without pesticides. He has invested 10 million rupees in a partnership with Prem Bhakta Maharjan, the former Minister of Transport for Bagmati Province, to cultivate vegetables on 25 ropanis of land.
He says that although he tried using organic pesticides mixed with cow dung and cow urine, they were not effective, so he had to switch to chemical pesticides. "Since diseases and pests like the tomato leaf miner are a problem, I have to spray pesticides on the tomatoes every two days," he says.
Agricultural experts say that to produce a larger and more attractive harvest, farmers are using more chemical pesticides than necessary. Farmers are using 'Carzogenic' pesticides to control pests in tomato fields. This is a strong fungicide. Manoj Pokharel, a senior crop protection officer at the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, says, "This type of pesticide contains chemicals that can cause cancer."
Pesticides are classified into four risk levels: green, blue, yellow, and red. Red-labeled pesticides are considered extremely dangerous. Green-labeled pesticides are considered safer and have a low average impact.
According to food safety standards, vegetables with an enzyme inhibition of less than 35% are considered safe to eat and are marked in green in the table below. If the inhibition is between 35% and 45%, the produce is quarantined and re-tested, marked in yellow. If it's over 45%, the produce must be destroyed, marked in red.
Although leafy greens are considered healthy and rich in vitamins, and their consumption is increasing, the pesticides used on them are making their way to everyone's kitchen. We are consuming poison along with the leafy greens needed for our bodies' nutrition. Sample tests from the Central Agricultural Laboratory have confirmed that unsafe levels of pesticides are being used on leafy greens. A test in November 2024 by the Central Agricultural Laboratory found pesticide inhibition rates ranging from 39% to 82% in leafy greens.
When farmers don't follow the waiting period after applying pesticides and use them in large quantities, the inhibition percentage appears high in rapid pesticide residue tests conducted by the laboratory.
Mahesh Timilsina, a crop protection officer at the Central Agricultural Laboratory, says the high inhibition percentage is because farmers spray large amounts of pesticides and then bring their produce to market without observing the minimum required waiting period.
The rapid pesticide residue analysis at the Central Laboratory can only determine the amount of pesticide present, not the specific type of pesticide used. The Central Laboratory does not have the technology to do this.
To find out the specific type and amount of pesticide used, the Central Agricultural Laboratory can send samples to the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control's laboratory if it is suspected that strong, banned pesticides were used. However, according to Dr. Shanta Karki, the head of the Central Agricultural Laboratory, samples have not been sent to the department's lab for testing this year. "Our studies in key vegetable-producing areas have found that harsh pesticides like organophosphates and carbamates are being used more frequently on leafy greens and tomatoes," she says.
Ravi Khyaju, an agricultural officer at Bhaktapur Municipality, says that as pests become more tolerant to pesticides, farmers are buying and using dangerous, restricted pesticides with red labels. He adds that these highly hazardous red-labeled pesticides are being used on tomatoes and other vegetables.
In their rush to achieve quick production and profit, farmers are increasingly using chemical pesticides as their main weapon for pest control. According to data from the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, pesticide use is increasing by 10% every year.
A study by the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre shows that although the standard for pesticide use in Nepal is 396 grams per hectare per year, an average of 1,605 grams per hectare is being used on vegetable crops. The study also found that nearly 80% of the pesticides used in agriculture are applied to vegetable crops. This data is from a government survey conducted a decade ago. Since the Plant Quarantine Centre's decadal surveys on pesticide use are not conducted regularly, recent data on pesticide consumption and the damage it's causing are unavailable.
Farmers afraid to eat their own produce!
Sita Dahal, from Khopasi, Panauti, Kavre, maintains a separate plot for her family's consumption. On this land, she uses a homemade pesticide made from cow urine, neem, bakaino (Melia azedarach), ketuke, oil cake, jaggery, soap, rajbeli, siudi, and vicks grass, along with organic fertilizers.
"Since fresh leafy greens and other green vegetables cannot be grown without pesticides, and the poisons used on grains pose a health risk, I am afraid to buy food from the market," Sita says.
Raj Gole, from Shankhu, Dhulikhel Municipality-12, Kavre, also says he has to use pesticides on his potatoes and tomatoes every week. "I'm scared that if I eat those potatoes and tomatoes, I'll get sick," he says.
Agricultural experts say that even if organic crops are grown near a commercial tunnel where chemical pesticides are used, the organic produce is not completely pure and is also affected by the pesticides. "The chemical pesticides sprayed on the vegetables in a nearby tunnel can reach the plants in the organic tunnel through the air, water, and soil," says entomologist Kashinath Chilwal. "Farmers who produce organic vegetables for their own consumption are also, to some extent, consuming poison."
Mahesh Timilsena, a crop protection officer at the Central Agricultural Laboratory, says that farmers who grow vegetables for commercial sale have been found to produce separate crops for their own consumption, using homemade organic remedies made from things like neem, pati, hemp, timmur, chili, cow urine, and datura.
Farmers reckless about safety and precautions
Deepak Raj Jaisi, a farmer in Changunarayan Municipality, is using pesticides despite the risks. "I wear a mask and a hat, but that's not enough," he says. "The pesticide gets into different parts of my body, and I'm always worried something will happen."
When Sita Dahal from Panauti sprays pesticides in her field, her throat and body itch, sting, and her head aches for two days. "Nothing happens when you spray at the base of the plant, but when you spray it over your head, it gets in your eyes," she says. "When I spray a tall plant, my throat gets scratchy for a week, and I realize how strong the pesticide is."
In Dhulikhel Municipality-12, Raj Gole, who farms vegetables on 7 ropanis of rented land, was found spraying pesticides on potatoes without wearing a mask, gloves, or a raincoat to cover his body. "I've heard that you're supposed to wear a mask, gloves, and a raincoat when spraying pesticides, but we're not careful about it," he says. He has been farming potatoes for seven years and says he has to spray pesticides up to five times a month during the potato season. He mentions that he has never received any training on how to properly spray pesticides.
Pushpak Shahi, from Dailekh, has been farming vegetables on 4 ropanis of rented land in Chunikhil, Lalitpur Metropolitan City-22, for two years. He also owns an agro-vet shop and sells pesticides to other farmers while using them on his own crops. He says he invests a lot in pesticides and chemical fertilizers for his tomatoes.
Citizens rising up against pesticides, but local governments indifferent!
Local residents of Changunarayan Municipality-8 have appealed to the municipality and ward office to immediately stop the reckless use of pesticides during vegetable farming, particularly in plastic tunnels, citing harmful effects.
On January 12, 2025, the residents submitted a signed petition to the municipality. The petition stated that people living near the tunnels in the former Sudal-5 area of Changunarayan Municipality-8 were at increased risk of various diseases due to the pesticides being used. They requested the municipality to conduct an inspection.
"We are investigating how the farmers are spraying pesticides," said Suresh Simkhada, the municipality's agricultural officer, acknowledging that the excessive use of pesticides has become a problem.
Similarly, on January 31, 2025, residents of Sipadol, Suryavinayak Municipality-8, also submitted a petition to their ward office, complaining that pesticides used in farming and fabric factories were causing air pollution throughout the neighborhood.
Ward Secretary Mohan Giri of Ward No. 8 stated that the ward would monitor the situation and take necessary action based on the residents' petition.
According to Mamta Bharati, a health volunteer in Panauti, farmers are at risk because of the uncontrolled use of pesticides, while the local government remains a passive observer when it comes to regulation and control.
Santosh Pandey, an agricultural officer at Panauti Municipality, says that although farmers are using pesticides based on advice from agro-vet shops, they are not using the correct amount or method. He adds that due to a shortage of staff, it is difficult to provide door-to-door services to all farmers. "Farmers are using more pesticides than the prescribed amount. Although the effects may not be visible now, they will be in the long run," he says. "Farmers are focused on recovering their investment and saving their crops, and they are ignoring public health and the risks involved."
He admitted that the municipality has been unable to effectively monitor pest control and agro-vet shops. "We spend so much time distributing grants and creating paperwork that we haven't been able to provide on-site services to farmers for pest control and crop protection," said Suresh Simkhada, the agricultural officer for Changunarayan Municipality. "The misconduct of agro-vet shops has created numerous problems and irregularities."
Shantila Budhathoki, an assistant crop development officer at Suryabinayak Municipality, said that after finding commercial farmers within the municipality were using pesticides indiscriminately, they have been running awareness programs this year on the proper methods of pesticide use.
Ravi Khyaju, a technician at Bhaktapur Municipality, says the municipality has not been able to monitor whether farmers are observing the minimum waiting period after spraying pesticides or regulate agro-vet shops. "Local governments don't have the resources to monitor agro-vet shops," he said. "The province hasn't shown any interest."
Arbitrary practices of agro-vet shops
Chapter 6 of the Pesticide Management Act, 2076, states that pesticides should not be used indiscriminately and that produce and sales should not contain pesticide residues in amounts greater than what is specified. The Act also clearly states that any person or organization that sells pesticides must also sell the necessary safety gear, such as safe clothing, for their use and disposal.
Ram Prasad Humagain, a local farmer who runs an agro-vet shop in Khopasi, Panauti, after receiving training as a Veterinary JTA (Junior Technical Assistant), says, "We give masks, gloves, and aprons to some customers who buy pesticides, but we don't have enough to give to all of them because many people come to buy pesticides."
Santosh Pandey, the agricultural officer for Panauti Municipality, says that while farmers are buying and using pesticides based on the advice of agro-vet shops, they are not using the correct amounts or methods. He adds that with a small workforce, it is difficult to provide door-to-door services to all farmers.
"Farmers are using more pesticides than the prescribed amount. Although the effects may not be visible now, they will be in the long run," he says. "Farmers are focused on recovering their investment and saving their crops, and they are ignoring public health and the risks involved."
According to Manoj Pokharel, a senior crop protection officer, when selling pesticides, agro-vet shops should clearly explain to farmers what the pesticide is, how to use it, and how long to wait after application. They should also teach farmers which body parts, such as the skin, respiratory system, and mouth, need to be protected and provide the necessary equipment for spraying. He notes that there is a gap in these practices.
Aatmaram Budhathoki, who farms vegetables in Suryabinayak, says that since he does not have access to local agricultural technicians, he sprays pesticides according to whatever the agro-vet shop tells him.
Training and awareness about pesticides and the necessary technical advice for pest control are not reaching the farmers. The government has banned the sale and distribution of some strong pesticides. "Pesticides should be used only in the necessary amounts and with a technician's advice, but instead, they are being used based on the commercial competition of agro-vet shops," said Mahesh Timilsina, an information officer at the Central Agricultural Laboratory.
The law clearly prohibits the use of banned pesticides. However, taking advantage of the open border, agro-vet shops have been found to be trading in banned pesticides. Manoj Pokharel, a senior crop protection officer at the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, says that while these activities are happening because of the open border, the lack of effective monitoring of agro-vet shops has created problems with regulation and control.
Pesticide use poses cancer risk!
In mid-August – mid-September 2024, after 61 people were found to have cancer and 15 to have kidney disease in Gandaki Rural Municipality, Gorkha, the Ministry of Livestock Development formed a study task force.
Most of the sick people were farmers. The task force was unable to determine the exact cause of the cancer. Deepak Timilsina, the chairperson of the rural municipality, says the state must investigate to confirm the cause of the cancer.
The task force collected vegetable samples from the farmers and tested them for pesticides. However, the enzyme inhibition percentage of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides was found to be less than 35%. The study task force concluded that since the samples were taken after the incident and the farmers were more aware, the vegetables were found to be safe for consumption even though pesticides had been used.
"Cancer patients were found among non-farming people as well as farmers. Farmers were found to be neglecting personal safety and precautions when spraying pesticides and not observing the required waiting period after spraying," said entomologist Kashinath Chilwal, the coordinator of the study task force.
While the cause of cancer in Gandaki's farmers has not been determined, a 1997 American study published in Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews found that farmers who use pesticides are at risk of various types of cancer.
The study found that using pesticides without precautions and proper equipment puts farmers at risk for the most deadly types of cancer. It confirmed that skin, stomach, lung, and ovarian cancers were found in farmers who use pesticides.
A research article by researcher Jyoti Neupane published in an agricultural journal in 2019 states that pesticide use has immediate and long-term effects on human health. The study said that farmers who use pesticides suffer from immediate effects like itchy skin, vomiting, and vision problems, while in the long term, they are at an increased risk of fatal diseases like asthma and cancer.
According to Dr. Utsav Man Shrestha, Head of the Oncological Department at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, there is a close link between pesticides and cancer. Carcinogenic chemicals include some insecticides, herbicides, and other chemical products. "When these chemicals remain in the body for a long time, the damage they do to DNA can contribute to the development of cancer," he says.
Dr. Utsav Man says the risk is increasing because people don't take personal safety precautions when spraying pesticides. He says that there is a link between pesticides and skin and lung cancer. "When spraying pesticides in the field, your skin and other body parts should be completely covered," he says. "If the places where air enters your lungs are not covered, the pesticides can directly affect your lungs. If used this way for a long time, it can cause lung cancer."
He also says that since farmers who work regularly with pesticides are at risk of cancer, they should get a cancer screening once a year. "After a normal screening X-ray of the chest, lungs, stomach, skin, and eyes of an at-risk farmer, if there is any suspicion, a CT scan of the affected organ can detect cancer," he says.
Professor Dr. Vivek Acharya, Head of the Clinical Oncology Department at Bir Hospital, says, "When pesticides are used in excessive amounts, they play a major role in causing blood cancer, stomach cancer, and bladder cancer." He adds that food containing pesticides can affect all organs, including the heart, liver, and kidneys.
Professor Dr. Vivek Acharya of Bir Hospital says that when farmers use pesticides without following personal safety and precaution standards, the pesticides enter the body through the mouth and reach various parts, affecting vital organs. "This is helping to create stomach cancer, blood cancer, liver cancer, and urinary cancer," Acharya says.
A report from the Global Cancer Observatory, an organization that projects global cancer trends, also shows an unexpected increase in cancer patients in Nepal. Its data indicates that in 2022 alone, there were 22,008 new cancer cases in Nepal, with women accounting for 12,216 of them. In that same year, 14,704 people died from cancer. The organization's data shows that lung, stomach, oral, breast, and cervical cancers are the most common.
Data from Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital over the past five years also shows an increase in the number of cancer patients.
Nepal's health and cancer policies also emphasize that due to the increased risk of cancer from pesticides, the government must take special measures to regulate and control them.
Immediate problems from pesticide use include headaches, vomiting, nausea, trembling hands, and fainting. In the long term, dangerous pesticides have been linked to cancer, disabilities in children, miscarriage, and liver damage.
A 1997 American study on pesticides and cancer, published in Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews, found that a pesticide-filled diet during pregnancy can cause disabilities, slow mental development, and brain tumors in children. This was the finding of a study by Dr. Aaron Blair, Dr. Mary H. Ward, and Celia Horzahs.
A study by Dr. Rajiv Ojha of the Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj found that consuming vegetables and fruits with pesticides is a major cause of Parkinson's disease in the elderly. The study also mentions that it found cases of children born with disabilities.
According to the World Health Organization, 4 million people worldwide are affected by these pesticides every year. Of them, about 300,000 die from pesticide exposure.
Consumers should take precautions
Chapter 3 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2075, explicitly outlines consumer rights, including easy access to goods and services, the right to choose, and a guarantee of quality, price, quantity, and purity. Section (e) of the same chapter ensures the right to a healthy body and protects individuals from the sale and distribution of goods and services that could harm their life, health, and property. When consumers cannot actually exercise these rights, they are left helpless.
Ishwari Joshi of Jaisidewal in Kathmandu Metropolitan City is concerned about her health, as both vegetables and water are contaminated with pesticides. She prefers eating vegetables over rice and grains, but after hearing about the use of pesticides, she is losing her appetite for vegetables. "I was a big fan of vegetables, but I've stopped even bringing leafy greens from the market now," she says.
Having lost her 60-year-old mother, Bishnumaya Shrestha, to cancer two years ago, she is sensitive and concerned about her own and her family's health.
She says she washes the vegetables that come into her kitchen with salt water, potash, and other things before cooking them. She has seen how many pesticides are used on tomatoes and says she only uses them after washing them with salt water and keeping them in the refrigerator for a day or two.
Dr. Vivek Acharya of Bir Hospital suggests cleaning purchased vegetables, leafy greens, and tomatoes with water, then washing them with salt water, and leaving them in the open air for a few days. "By taking these steps, you can slightly reduce the amount of pesticide."
However, he suggests that the government should stop the production of pesticide-laden vegetables. Emphasizing that the government should prevent pesticide-filled vegetables and grains from entering the country, Dr. Vivek says, "The state must be responsible for this; otherwise, it will become a serious problem tomorrow."
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