Farmers and traditional medicine experts have reacted angrily to the listing of 13 widely used herbal plants as hazardous substances, suggesting there is a hidden agenda that favours chemical companies.
The Industry Ministry listed the 13 plants as hazardous substances to control production and commercialisation.
The plants are widely used among farmers as alternatives for expensive and toxic farm chemicals, pesticides and herbicides.
The announcement on listing the plants as "hazardous substances type 1" under the 1992 Hazardous Substances Act was approved by Industry Minister Charnchai Chairungruang last month. It took effect on Feb 3.
Proposed by the Department of Agriculture, which is a member of the hazardous substances committee, the announcement requires growers, manufacturers, importers and exporters of pesticides, herbicides and plant disease control substances made from the 13 herbal plants to follow safety and quality control regulations issued by the committee. Otherwise they will face six months in jail and/or a fine of 50,000 baht.
Farmer advocates yesterday said putting the herbal plants on the controlled list would hurt growers as they could no longer produce, trade and use botanical pesticides and herbicides freely.
Farmers and producers of the organic substances might have to pay more for registration, packaging and testing as required by the law, said Witoon Lianchamroon, of Biothai, a non-government organisation working on organic farming.
He suspected the motive behind the listing.
Multinational chemical companies are expected to benefit once production and commercialisation of the alternative substances is curbed, he said.
Full story: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/11379/farmers-up-in-arms-at-herb-listi
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Thailand Declares 13 Herbs as "Hazardous" Substances
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Farmers up in arms at herb listing
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The Bangkok Post, February 11, 2009
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