Posted on April, 2, 2019 at 08:52 am
By AGATHA NGOTHO AND JOHN MUCHANGI
Farmers should continue using Monsanto's best-selling weedkiller Roundup as the government monitors emerging claims it can cause cancer, the Agriculture ministry said yesterday.
Andrew Tuimur, the Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary, said Kenya follows the European Union recommendations, which authorise the herbicide’s continued use in farms until 2022.
“Most EU countries are using it and so is Kenya, but we are monitoring the situation and in case there are new developments, we will act accordingly,” Tuimur said.
The CAS said farmers must know all farm chemicals are not safe and they should use protective gear.
“Many chemicals clearly indicate how to use them and safety measures to take. It is important that farmers heed to this advice,” he said.
The current EU approval of glyphosate – the active ingredient in Roundup - expires in December 2022, but the producer will routinely apply for renewal in advance.
The chemical was in the spotlight in 2015 when the World Health Organization determined that glyphosate is "probably carcinogenic to humans".
Director of Public health Dr Kepha Ombacho said the public must handle the chemical carefully because of the WHO warning.
“All chemicals are dangerous. Farmers must observe the protective information and wear protective gear. Those selling farm chemicals must also sensitise their customers,” he said.
On Wednesday last week, a US jury awarded Sh8 billion ($80m) to a man who claimed his continuous use of Roundup pesticide caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare cancer.
The jury found that Monsanto, producer of the chemical, was negligent because it failed to include a label on the product warning of the weedkiller’s risk of causing cancer.
A statement from Bayer, which acquired Monsanto last year, said that the company would appeal the jury’s verdict.
Despite the WHO warning, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the European Chemicals Agency and other environment regulators have found that glyphosate is not likely carcinogenic to humans.
Eliud Kireger, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation director general, also said that Roundup is safe.
“We are monitoring the situation in Kenya and if a time comes when there is a genuine concern, we will recommend appropriately,” Kireger said.
Organic farming lobby Kenya Biodiversity Coalition said the US ruling raises grave concerns given the rising number of cancer cases in Kenya.
“The case in the USA is proof that the Kenyan government should ban glyphosate-based chemicals,” Anne Maina, the lobby’s National Coordinator. said.
“Scientists in France have proven that glyphosate has been found in the soil and waterways even 30 years after use. We are all not safe until a ban is put in place because on someone uses glyphosate, it may find its way into our waterways.”
Source: The Star