Agri experts to draft new pesticide policy
The Ministry of Agriculture has formed a 19-member expert committee to formulate a comprehensive pesticide policy aimed at ensuring safe food production and sustainable agriculture.
The committee will prepare policy guidelines on pesticide use, import, registration, quality control and the safe application of chemical and bio-chemical agents in the country.
According to a ministry office order, the committee is headed by the Agriculture Secretary as convener, while the Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) will serve as member secretary.
The ministry said the committee’s main objective is to develop an integrated policy framework for sustainable agricultural development by ensuring the safety of soil, water, the environment and public health.
Members of the committee include the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) and senior officials from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Department of Environment, DAE, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).
Two professors, one each from Dhaka University and City University, along with representatives from the Bangladesh Institution of Food Professionals and the Bangladesh Crop Protection Association, have also been included in the committee.
The committee has been instructed to review the existing Pesticides Act, 2018, related regulations and current management practices before preparing a combined policy guideline within three months.
Its terms of reference include analysing existing challenges in pesticide management, recommending necessary reforms, defining responsibilities and involving experienced experts if required.
The ministry said a modern pesticide policy is urgently needed to make pesticide use more scientific, limited and environmentally friendly.
It added that the proposed reforms would help develop a sustainable agriculture system, ensure safe agro-product production and protect soil, water resources, biodiversity and public health by preventing the misuse of pesticides.
