Thai Farmers Given 90 Days to Return Hazardous Chemicals

Last updated on May 7th, 2021 at 06:46 am

Thailand’s Department of Agriculture has given Thai farmers a 90-days to return hazardous chemicals for destruction as they are now illegal. Furthermore manufacturers or importers of hazardous chemicals banned under Thai law have 270 days to destroy their stock.

The announcement was made in line with the Ministry of Industry’s decision on May 15 to place paraquat and chlorpyrifos on the list of hazardous chemicals. Even more ban their use in the kingdom, effective from June 1. Alongkorn Ponlaboot, adviser to the minister to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said the ministry has set up a working group on the three hazardous agrochemicals. Above all to deal with the case, and guidelines for how to destroy the chemicals will be publicized at a later date.

According to the announcement, farmers in possession of paraquat and chlorpyrifos must return the chemicals to designated shops within 90 days, from June 1 until Aug 29. Shops designated to collect the chemicals have been given 120 days to collect returned items. Moreover, complete documents must also be submitted to the department’s officials. The shops will also be in charge of sending returned items to manufacturers or importers. Who have also been given 270 days to destroy them. The destruction of the chemicals must not be later than Feb 25 next year. They must fill a form to declare the amount returned, set up an eradication plan and submit the results of destruction to the department’s officials. The task of destroying them must not fall to the department. Any person who possesses the illegal agrochemicals will be fined one million baht, jailed for 10 years, or both. Meanwhile, Thai Pesticide Alert Network (Thai-PAN) coordinator Prokchon Usap said the department faces a challenging job creating a task force to create understanding with local farmers on how to deal with the two banned hazardous chemicals. They should be informed on how to drop them at the shop properly and it would be useful if there are signs to let them know the drop locations.