March 3, 2015. Bishkek. In the republic, over 500 tons of outdated chemicals from the Soviet era have accumulated, posing a significant danger to the ecology and public health. Moreover, widespread violations are observed in the use of pesticides by farmers who do not adhere to basic safety norms and rules when working with hazardous substances and use chemical fertilizers and pesticides in uncontrolled amounts. If urgent measures are not taken, Kyrgyzstan could easily turn from a “country of organic farming” into a “country of persistent organic pollutants,” warn experts. There is also great concern that the most vulnerable family members – children and women – are involved in fieldwork during spraying operations.
These and other issues were discussed today at a seminar on the topic “Reducing Pesticide Use Risks in the Kyrgyz Republic,” which was attended by representatives of FAO and the European Union, as well as specialists from the regions, employees of the Ministries of Agriculture, Ministry of Defense of the KR, Ministry of Health of the KR, Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry of the KR, representatives of the non-governmental sector, and journalists.
The two-day seminar was organized by the Department of Chemicalization and Plant Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture and Melioration of the KR as part of the European Union/FAO project “Enhancing the Capacity for the Disposal and Prevention of Outdated Pesticides as a Model for the Management of Unused Hazardous Chemicals in the Former Soviet Union.”
The seminar featured speeches by Mia—Fatima Dubois-Busaid, Attaché, Project Manager at the EU Representation in the KR, and Dorji Kinlay, FAO Representative in Kyrgyzstan, who emphasized the importance of the issues raised for an agricultural country like Kyrgyzstan. Dr. Kinlay also noted in his speech that Kyrgyzstan is one of the most successful countries in implementing this project, which covers six former Soviet countries: Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan.
More details about the project activities were presented by Indira Jakypova, national project consultant for FAO. The project started in 2012, aiming to ensure the safety of outdated pesticides. A lot has been accomplished over the years, and certain results have been achieved, but it is still too early to rest on our laurels, believes Jakypova. She also noted that a significant support for specialists working in this area is that FAO has developed and translated a large volume of methodological materials into Russian, which will provide substantial assistance in managing hazardous pesticides in our republic.
As part of the project, extensive work is being carried out to conduct an information campaign for farmers and their families on reducing pesticide use risks in agriculture and using alternatives to pesticides, a study was conducted: “Assessing Current Pesticide Exposure Risks in Former Soviet Union Countries with a Focus on the Social Aspects of Pesticide Application and Identifying Vulnerable Groups.” The results of the study for Kyrgyzstan were presented to the seminar participants by Anna Kirilenko from ED BIOM. The study was conducted in three regions of the republic – Osh, Jalal-Abad, and Chui regions – and revealed low public awareness of the dangers posed by pesticides when misused, as well as issues surrounding packaging and its disposal, not to mention unlicensed open sales at retail outlets and numerous poisoning cases, especially among children.
According to the organizers, this seminar aims to serve as a starting point for conducting an information campaign to reduce risks from pesticide use across all regions of Kyrgyzstan. For the campaign, 42 localities in the Kyrgyz Republic were selected across all oblasts of the country. These localities border warehouses of outdated pesticides that pose a threat to public health. The information campaign will include informational meetings with the population, farmers, their families, village activists (including school directors, medical staff, educational institution employees, agronomists, members of agricultural cooperatives, ASDP, Jaiyt committees, FAP staff, neighborhood committees, and others). At these meetings, participants and rural administrations will be provided with informational materials on reducing risks and health hazards associated with the use of chemicals in agriculture.
Photo: Alma Karsymbek\Mountain Partnership
