You food you eat!

[kent]

Sabahans still being poisoned
Written by Super Admin
Wednesday, 09 July 2008
Up to 90 per cent of the farmers I spoke to admit using banned pesticides on their vegetables and fruits which end up in the stomachs of Sabah's 3.3 million people.

Selvaraja Somiah

I crisscrossed all over Sabah during the recent March 8th General Election, whilst campaigning for a friend and his political party which had 14 indigenous candidates contesting. Jokes aside, all the candidates lost their deposits and I shall write about this another time. But for now, let me just stick to pesticides, a subject very close to my heart.

During campaign, I took the opportunity to feel and see first hand the agricultural transformation taking place in the Land Below The Wind. I saw vast tracks of land cleared for oil palm cultivation all over and the severe adverse effects of deforestation on indigenous people and the haphazard ways of pesticide usage. I came away with a strange sense of helplessness and frustration, indeed appalling, as in the past.

I interviewed close to a hundred farmers and visited countless vegetable and fruit farms that cater supplies to all over Sabah. Saw the pesticides in use. Visited oil palm estates/plantations and their pesticide stores - some with the knowledge of their owners or managers but many without any consent from the owners (please don't ask how I did it!).

What I'm going to reveal here may frighten many Sabahans.

Up to 90 per cent of the farmers I spoke to admit using banned pesticides on their vegetables and fruits which end up in the stomachs of Sabah's 3.3 million people.

And why do these farmers use banned pesticides? They use it because it is more effective than permitted pesticides and have been doing so since Usno days.

During Usno days I, too, was a culprit. I was supplying banned stuff to farmers in Sabah. I am sorry for this, but it was a long time ago when I was still in the industry and chasing profits without being overly concerned about human health.

I have since regretted but banned pesticide use is still happening now.

In my letter to Forum on 9 July, 2006 "Cannot Shut Eye On Pesticide Sales" I talked about an agrochemical dealer in Tawau who was caught and jailed for selling stolen fertiliser and chemicals and who is still operating in the market and another dealer, also in Tawau, who was supplying close to RM1 million worth of adulterated pesticide to Sama Subur, a semi-government body.

And, of course, many more out there, with a dark past and who are still in the industry supplying pesticides.

The only consolation for Sabahans is that farmers using banned pesticides usually stop using these dangerous chemicals on their crops when it is close to harvesting time. They spray the pesticides on their crops twice a week during the 3-month period while their crops are growing. About 20 days before harvesting, they switch to the permitted pesticides.

And where do the farmers get the banned pesticides? These could be bought from any local agrochemical dealer in Sabah who, in turn, get their stocks from Thailand through agents in West Malaysia.

There are about 15 types of such pesticides available in the market including the brands of Super Mac, Lannate, Naporex and Vertimec, which cost between RM80 and RM400, depending on weight and quantity of active ingredient.

At least 80 per cent of the vegetables and fruits are consumed in Sabah and the rest to Brunei and West Malaysia. The crop meant for Brunei and West Malaysia would be treated with fewer pesticides and washed thoroughly before they are packed and sent.

Sometime back, my brother in law a major fresh fruit distributor mainly cavendish banana and pamelo to Brunei told me his fellow supplier from Tenom, also to Brunei, of honeydew melon, said, even the outer skin of the honeydew melon has got so much pesticides sprayed on it that on feeding just the outer skin of the honeydew melon to his pet rabbits, had all his 10 rabbits dying of poisoning. He was to paranoid to talk to anyone about this. Just imagine this! I was disgusted when I heard this.

In the face of the evidence I have provided you, it is certainly funny to know that the Federal Agriculture and Agrobased Industry indicates that only less than 5pc of all fresh fruits and vegetables sold in Malaysia contain high pesticides. This information comes from the Health Ministry.

Even more funny is a press release from the Director of the Food Quality Control Division of the Health Ministry entitled "No Excessive Pesticide In Greens." In this letter the Director of the Food Quality Control Division of the Health Ministry provides data on the significant reduction in the contravention of permissible pesticide residue levels in food over the years.

But the data provided does not have detailed sampling and testing plan for pesticide residues. In fact, since the 90's I have been requesting for these details and have even written many times for the authorities to provide these details.

But this was never entertained. Let me again ask the authorities to please provide the raw data on the number of samples collected, matched with the breakdown by PRODUCTS, the location where these individual samples were collected, the pesticides that were tested and the respective results.

Only such information would allow the public to know whether samples covered all the key vegetable and fruit products, the areas where the products are from and also what were the specific pesticides tested.

The public should not be merely given some general information that does not address the issues at all.

Even on the Food Quality Division website, it stated that "However, laboratories can provide only 12pc of the Maximum Residue Limits set pesticides, which find it difficult to conduct monitoring on pesticide residues in agriculture products."

Hence based on just this statement, it would mean that only about 25 of the more than 200 pesticides listed on the Food Act could be tested.

What about the remaining 175 pesticides and what is there to ensure that they are not present in our vegetables and fruits?

The authorities are morally and ethically obliged to reveal detailed information on the sampling and testing plan together with the results of the last few years and also the numbers of pesticides that can be tested.

The authorities should also provide information on when sampling and testing were done. Testing should be done continuously throughout the year, at the source i.e. the farms as well as the Tamus and markets or any other points of sale. I doubt this is done in Sabah as my recent chance visit to Sabah confirmed.

New State Agriculture Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin should take a serious view on pesticide use on our agricultural crops. If he needs input from me, I would be more than glad to provide for the sake of the well being of the people in Sabah. This is the best I can do to make up for being a reckless and sinful pesticides dealer in Sabah decades ago.

The decisions Yahya makes will reinforce Sabahans' views that the Federal Government is serious about resolving the pesticide problem in Sabah.


Comments (19)
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written by ctchoolaw, July 09, 2008 | 13:08:52

Good point. We learn from our mistakes. Will BN Sabah support Yong? The SAPP seems to be in divergent positions. Clever strategy? Or, disarray? Please get your act together. Guests cannot see links in the messages. Please register to forum by clicking here to see links.
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written by G kembong, July 09, 2008 | 13:13:01

It is time Sabahans get rid of UMNO before they get further poisoned by the UMNO venom.
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written by sumandakk, July 09, 2008 | 13:41:15

Thank you for this important article.

The pesticide issue is frightening. DDT is still used on the vegetable farms in Kundasang.

The spread of oil palm in Sabah is also truly frightening.

Drive from Tawau to Lahad Datu to Sandakan to Ranau, drive along the upper ridges of the Crocker Ranges and all you see all around you as far as you can see is this terribly damaging though highly profitable crop.

And Sime Darby arsehole company dares put out that revolting ad about how they care for the environment.
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written by sumandakk, July 09, 2008 | 13:50:14

By the way someone told me NEVER buy a house on ex sawit land. You're guaranteed to have a termite problem in 5 years.

So pray tell what will happen to hectares of Sabah's rich land in years to come after it has been systematically poisoned by rich self interested arseholes and companies. Not to mentioned entire indigenous communities that are forever displaced.

Shall we go into how the royalties and tax of these mega estates goes straight to federal coffers? As usual Sabah gets nothing. The REAL natives of this country loose their land and their identity. Taken by the likes of Sime Darby saviour of the environment.

I really hate oil palm estates and oil palm companies.
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written by Tom n Jerry, July 09, 2008 | 13:56:39

Pesticides has been in use for many decades and will continue forever as far as agriculture is concerned!Its about using the right amount & the right label to comply withrequirements!Consumers have a choice to make when purchasing food;they can opt for organic food!Organic farming should be encouraged because it is more environment friendly&and overall health issues of food poisoning much reduced to bare minimum!The biggest challenge today is food on the table;rice is so costly it is a luxury to many in the lower income group;ironically the poor will be healthier because they have so much less to eat and be poisoned!
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written by mymalaysia, July 09, 2008 | 14:15:48

I also heard from someone who told me even the farmers in Cameron Highland has a separate farm to plant vegetables for their own consumptions.

The problem with our country, from what I commonly observed is the government only good at telling us their findings - what is dangerous and what products are found to be contaminated with banned poisons but never ENFORCE on a solution to the problem.

That's why we - the citizen who has no choice but consume all the poisons. Organic food is good but still, we are not sure if it's really organic. Furthermore, organic food is very expensive.

I truly hope to see our government will be more efficient and enforce on solutions instead of just talk talk talk .. yak yak yak! 51 years of yak yak yak is enough. Time to change!
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written by budakindia, July 09, 2008 | 14:21:25

But what happened to the no-confidence motion? Still wanna hide? Make it out in the open!
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written by ahmadneil, July 09, 2008 | 14:31:51

No wonder I can't think rationally after eating the fruits and vegetables.All my friends and relatives are saying the same.So now we know why we keep on voting the same stupid party...ARM NO.
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written by gundohing, July 09, 2008 | 14:39:16

Sumanndakk if you are not a farmer just shut up! I am sure Selvarajah is talking more about vegetable/fruit farming. As an Oil Palm small holder we can't think of any banned substance that we have used. Gramoxone has been banned and I never heard of anyone selling it. Glycophosphate is now commonly used weedkiller and it is quickly oxidised and nuetralised by the soil. BTW, nobody in the industry we know spray anything on the fruits. For fertilizers it's NPK. By the way, my house is ex-swamp land and still there is termites!

I would like to share an experience. I once had a squatting neighbour who plants a few acres of watermelon and honey dew on government land. I knew Lucas, the Indonesian worker whom during harvesting season would come over and brought us some melons. These melons are usually small and deformed due to insects and bugs infestation and these are the ones actually planted for personal consumption. They are free form insecticide. Lucas once said he would never touch the big, nice and perfect melons. "Wooo... itu banyak racun tuan, saya tidak berani makan yang itu.. tapi orang bandar hanya mahu yang macam itu"

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written by panca, July 09, 2008 | 17:12:05

Sabahans are "ill-treated" because they keep voting the creepy guys who are umno lapdogs!
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written by mgeo, July 09, 2008 | 17:25:19

..less than 5pc of all fresh fruits and vegetables sold in Malaysia contain high pesticides..

So 5% of us every day or every month can drop dead?

What needs to be emphasized is that all Malaysians (except the super-rich) are consuming poisoned food, resulting in kidney failures (very high) and cancer. The little news on this we get is revealed when other countries reject our food exports: vegetables by Singapore earlier, seafood by EU last month.
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written by Ahjamal, July 09, 2008 | 18:24:26

Not only human are effected, The wild life is about to be extinct. All this
MPS and Aduns are bssy demanding their bargain with the Federal Government without having an eye on this pesticides disposals.
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written by OilMan, July 09, 2008 | 19:20:07

I have basically stopped buying vegies from the supermarkets. If the greens condition is such that no insects damage occurs on the leaf then it can only mean that the vegie is contamined with pesticede. This can be clearly seen from the vegies in the supermarkets. Brunei has actually banned imports of vegies from Sabah due to the high pesticide content.
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written by OilMan, July 09, 2008 | 19:25:24

Gundohing,

I know a number of small scale small holders using banned pesticides. So don't assume that all is well. The issue is that the government is not doing enough to tackle the indiscriminate use of banned pesticides. Period.
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written by sumandakk, July 09, 2008 | 19:41:30

Gundohing, then you are a good guy. Good for you. This very article illustrates you are not the norm.

Dont tell me you dont think oil palm is killing Sabah land by the hectares. Dont tell me you dont think the identity of the land is changing due to the huge proliferation of oil palm. Honestly?

I am very proud of small holders (probably like yourself) that hold on to the diversity of products - fruit & veg. One of the reasons oil palm is so dangerous by its nature is that it is a MONO crop that is sucking the land dry. Any farmer will tell you in order for land to be healthy it needs some diversity.

I dont think all small holders are like yourself Gundohing. I think they go for the cheapest available anything to get the best returns for the products. People want fat shiny fruit that is what they will endeavor to supply. I am not laying blame on small holders. But I do lay blame on policy and its implementation.

Have you been to Tenom lately? My family are fruit farmers there so although I am not actively involved I SEE the landscape. The diversity of small holder land owners in Tenom are producers that farm everything from bananas to coffee to limes to padi to pomelo to cocoa. These small holders are slowly but very steadily being pressurized to convert their land to oil palm.

Tenom to me, has always been one of the most beautiful fertile valleys in Sabah but look at it now.

The lady that told me about the termites in ex-sawit housing estates is an insurance person. I guess she knows what she's talking about.

You're right about the 'ugly' fruit & veg. Buy the veg with the most insect holes in it. If the bugs can live you will too.
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written by sumandakk, July 09, 2008 | 19:44:47

But I understand your concern Gundohing because this is obviously a topic close to your heart and livelihood. So I'm sorry to generalise.
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written by CVL, July 09, 2008 | 20:17:44

Selvaraj's article is simply to general for objectivity, and cannot be anymore than a generalization of his view points. What credential has he got, and what scientific measures has he applied in his observations?

For example, what does he mean by ' banned' pesticide? He seems to be mistaking bad or wrong pesticide applications as opposed to banned items. His article has not treated these two important aspects adequately to enable good, never mind scientific, conclusions.

For important health matters as the use of pesticide in food materials, an internationally acceptable scientific method must be used to measure / quantify objectives before making conclusions for the public.

Selvraj should either keep his personal opinion on agricultural food stuffs i nSabah, or he should employ scientific method to quantify his conclusions fopr sharing with the public.
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written by G kembong, July 09, 2008 | 21:35:46

This article has also come out in the Daily Express Sabah. According to Daily Express, Selvaraja has been in the agrochemical industry for 17 years and has done much work in pesticides and herbicides.

Infact,I have read many articles on pesticides abuse by Selvaraja.

And CVL, stop hiding using a nick and with your useless comments.
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written by Aming, July 09, 2008 | 21:43:57

There are basically two classes of pesticides: (1)"contact" pesticides which stay on the surfaces of fruits and vegetables on which these are applied and upon washing with water would be removed, thus causing no harm to consumers.
The other is (2) "systemic" pesticides applicable onto the soil and absorbed into the whole plants(leaves and fruits). No amount of washing can get ride of these pesticides from fruits and veges. The most commonly used systemic pesticide used is Furadan.


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