The Distribution and Use of Pesticides in Laos

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The Distribution and Use of Pesticides in Laos

• Regional Workshop on International Code of
  Conduct on the Distribution and Use of
  Pesticides
• 26-28 July 2005 Bangkok, Thailand

Presented by Somsack Kethongsa Department of
Agriculture, Laos
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Introduction

• Laos is sharing border with five countries
• China to the north, Cambodia to the south,
  Vietnam to the west and Myanmar and Thailand to
  the east
• Area 236.800 Km2
• Population 5,5 million
• Population density 18 Person/Km2
• Geography 2/3 is mountain

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Economic

• Agriculture is the most important sector in Laos,
  accounting for 56 of GDP and employing
  approximately 80 of the labor force.
• Crop production is largely dominated by paddy
  rice, Which presents approximately 90 of crop
  production and 80 (650.000 ha) of annual
  cultivated cropland. Other important crops
  include maize, job-tear, coffee, beans,
  vegetables and fruit-tree.

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The use of agricultural inputs and insecticide

• The use of agricultural inputs still is being
  very low in Laos, pesticide has not been regarded
  as a prime factor in improving yields.
  Application of pesticides will continue to be
  very low.
• the use of chemicals in plant protection is of
  relatively low importance in Laos. the country
  does not produce any active ingredients, nor does
  it formulate any pesticides locally. all
  pesticides are then imported and used mainly on
  dry-season irrigation rice, vegetables and
  marketable high-value crops.
• The most importance insect pests of rice are stem
  borers, gall midge, brown plant hopper, rice and
  others. Insect pests of other corps have not yet
  been systematically recorded although several
  have been observed in fruits, vegetables, roots
  and tubers.

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Regulation of pesticides

• In 2000, Regulation on Management and usage of
  pesticide in Laos, Issue by Ministry of
  Agriculture and Forestry, No. 0886, Date 10 Mar
  2000. The objective of managing all kinds of
  pesticides in the country. This has been used as
  the reference for the pesticides management. The
  WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticide by
  Hazard and FAO Guideline to Classification
  1994-1995.
• In 2002, plan protection center was established
  for the purpose of testing pre and post harvest
  agriculture in puts, testing of chemical residues
  in agriculture products, testing of the imported
  pesticides, monitoring and diagnosis of the
  insects and their outbreak. Since there are lack
  of technical staff and equipments, almost work in
  the center is currently implemented in very
  limited aspect.
• Now, Recommendation on control, management, usage
  of pesticides in Laos, Issue by Ministry of
  Agriculture and Forestry, No. 0620, Date 13 Jul
  2005.

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Legislation of pesticides

• All kinds of pesticides imported and used or
  exported through Laos are under the
  responsibility of Ministry of Agriculture and
  Forestry and both public and private sectors who
  has the purpose to import or export pesticides
  have to be granted by Ministry of Agriculture and
  Forestry.
• Department of Agriculture is responsible for
  legislation of all kinds of imported pesticides.
  Therefore, all shops who import pesticides for
  distribution in Laos have to make records of the
  pesticides such as quality, country of origin and
  simple of the imported pesticides and submitted
  to Department of Agriculture for legislation and
  import permission.

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Permitted pesticides

• there are 19 kinds of insecticides such us
  Acephate, Cabaryl, Carbofuran, Cabosulfan,
  Cartap, Cyfluthrin, Cyhalothrin, Cypermethrin,
  Deltamethrin, Diaznon, Dimethoate, Ethronfenprox,
  Endosulfan, Fenitrothion, Fenitrothion,
  Fenvalelate, Isoprocarb, Malathion,
  Methamidaphos,Methomyl.
• There are 3 kinds of rodenticides
  Coumatetralyl, Wafarine, Zine phospide.
• There are 10 kinds of fungicides Bennomyl,
  Cabendazim, Carboxin, Captan, Copper oxychloride,
  Edifenphos, Zineb, Mancozeb, Maneb, Sulphur.
• There are 9 kinds of herbicides Alachlor,
  Atrazine, Butachlor, D, Dluron, Glyphosate,
  Oxadiazon, Propanil, Simazine.
• There are 3 kinds of molluscicides Niclosamide,
  Copper Sulphate, Metaldehyde.
• There are 2 kinds of nematicides Ebufos,
  Ethoprpphos.

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Prohibited pesticides

• there are 26 kinds of prohibited pesticides such
  us
• 2,4,5 T, TEPP, DDT, Sodium chlorate, Aldrin,
  EDB, Endrin, Captafol, Dieldrin, Fluoroacetamide,
  Chlodimeform, Sodium fluoasetade, Heptachlor,
  Cyhexatine, Toxaphene, Daminocide,
  EthylParathion, Binapaccryl, Leptophos, Dinoseb,
  BHC, Methyl parathion, Sodiem Arsenite, Methyl
  parathion, MEMC, Monocrotophos

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Testing of Pesticides

• Testing for chemical residues in agricultural
  products is new for Laos which all staffs are
  currently trained for both technical terms and
  laboratory equipments.
• Testing activities have been carried out in limit
  aspects since the laboratory and its equipments
  in Plant Protection Center are considered as
  basic tools with capacity of testing only 2
  groups of pesticides such as Cabometer and
  Organofosfet.

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Distribution and Trade

• Pesticides are distributed to farmers in 3
  channels
• Distribution by companies to Farmers
• Distribution by agricultural inputs distributors
  and later distributed to farmer
• Distribution by distributors-Agricultural inputs
  shop-retail shop-farmers.
• Besides formal import of pesticides, there are
  also pesticides illegally traded along the border
  and some of them are prohibited such as Folidal
  since high rate of chemical residue and over
  toxic content.

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Usage of pesticides

• Farmers who are aware of pesticide hazard
  especially farmers who attended the Farmer Field
  School, obtaining the IPM experience, have
  followed the techniques such as self- protection
  and harvested their crops after 7 days of
  pesticide applied.
• However, there are some farmers who are not aware
  enough of pesticide application, too many kinds
  of pesticides applied together and earlier
  harvesting their crops which provided negative
  impact to consumers.
• Lao government is in effort of improving
  pesticide use and management system in order to
  apply effective measures to management and
  prohibition of pesticides illegally imported and
  distributed without legislation.

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Information dissemination

• To encourage the farmers for safe pesticide
  application, Lao government through the radio
  programme has disseminated farmers the hazard
  aware of pesticide and safe pesticide
  application.
• IPM project plays an important role of
  disseminating farmers the technical information
  upon IPM techniques for their crop production and
  IPM activities are mainly carried out in the
  northern, central and southern parts of the
  country.

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Conclusion

• There are lack of technical staffs for pests,
  plant diseases and weeds.
• Lack of information on pest circle and outbreak
  relatively caused by climate change.
• Pesticide management system is still unclear.
• Lack of financial support and equipments required
  for plant protection.
• To strengthen ecosystem, plant protection in Lao
  PDR needed strong improvement and upgrade in
  curtain status.

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Thank you for your attention