MINISTRY OF PESTS
Listing of 13 widely used herbal plants as hazardous substances is hard to stomach
Ifind it very hard to believe that the Ministry of Industry has listed 13 widely used herbal plants — citronella grass, neem, turmeric, ginger, Chinese ginger, African marigold, Siam weed or bitter bush, tea seed cake, chilli, Chinese celery, ringworm bush, glory lily and stemona — as hazardous substances.
This is so absurd that it almost makes me cry. In the Hazardous Substance Act, “hazardous substances” mean any substance, whether chemical or other, which may be harmful to a person, animal, plant, property or environment.
The regulation stipulates five categories of hazardous substances beginning with the least-dangerous Type 1, which requires owners to conform and follow the issued rules. Owners of Type 2 substances are required to register with the responsible agency in a bid to control and trace usage.
In 2009, the Ministry of Industry announced 13 herbal plants as Type 2 in an effort to control the production and commercialisation of pesticides made from them.
Not many people know about this regulation, however, officials under the Ministry of Agriculture are well aware of it and went along with the Ministry of Industry’s initiative. Moreover, it states that growers, manufacturers, importers and exporters of pesticides made from the 13 herbal plants are required to conform to procedures and register the products as hazardous substances.
Advocate groups and agricultural activists have asked the government to cancel the listing because the plants have been used by farmers as alternatives to pesticides for a long time. In some areas, herbal pesticides are sold by small scale producers at a very reasonable price. More importantly, the pesticide alternatives are easy to find and more effective than imported chemicals.
Unfortunately, people’s calls have been ignored. The indifference towards the public outcry displayed by state officials seemed to suggest that they want Thai farmers to depend on imported chemicals.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Agriculture put forward a proposal to the Ministry of Industry to switch the listing of the plants to Type 1, which is a lot more lenient than Type 2. However, this will take time and there is no guarantee that the Ministry of Industry will be convinced to do so.
It is strange that such a law is imposed to control the use of native herbs we are familiar with. The regulation is vague and general, seemingly with the aim to keep local farmers from utilising them.
A good variety of herbal plants are native to Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand. Thais are accustomed to those herbs and have built up local wisdom regarding medicinal properties of the plants, what to use, and how to prepare them.
Lemongrass may be the most common ingredient used in Thai cuisine. In addition to the one used for cooking, another type is called takrai hom (citronella). Takrai hom is used for pest control by smashing and placing it in dark corners to repel mosquitoes. Takrai hom water is also used to drive away insects and worms.
Neem is recognised for having both medical and insecticidal properties. But it is better known sadao nam pla wan (caramelised fish sauce), served with grilled catfish. Sadao leaves and flowers are abundant during the winter season.
The seeds of the neem tree are smashed and soaked in water. The oil from neem seeds can chase away insects and pests. Siam weed, regarded by most people as a fast-growing and useless weed, produces a special aroma that keeps away poisonous reptiles.
Turmeric is commonly used in southern cooking. Almost all southern dishes use turmeric as an ingredient. Medicinally, turmeric is used to produce traditional medicines to alleviate the symptoms of gastric acid.
These are only some examples of how Thai farmers and Thai people in general have been utilising the 13 herbal plants, listed as unsafe substances by the Ministry of Industry and agreed upon by the Ministry of Agriculture. How hazardous they are, as technically listed in the Act, is too complicated for the general public to appreciate.
These two ministries should be mindful of the fact that the herbal pesticides have gone through rigorous processes of research and development before they are manufactured for commercial purpose. And most importantly, the green pesticides must have be certified by the Food and Drug Administration. The products that hit the market are accompanied with advice and warnings clearly listed on the label.
The fact that these two ministries have categorised the 13 herbs we know so well as hazardous shows that the ministries themselves are far more dangerous than anything else.