Thailand

by Panpimon Chunyanuwat

Introduction

Pesticides are regulated by the Hazardous Substances Act B.E. 2535 (1992). Under this Act, the Hazardous Substances Committee (HSC) has been set up as the legal body to control pesticides. HSC assigned the

• Department of Agriculture (DOA) to be responsible for regulation of pesticide used in crop production;

• Department of Livestock Development (DLD) to be responsible for regulation of pesticide used in livestock production;

• Department of Fisheries (DOF) to be responsible for regulation of pesticide used in fish culture;

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Ministry of Public Health to be responsible for pesticides used as household chemicals.

Ministerial Regulations, Ministerial Notifications, Department Notifications and Department Rules were issued in order to facilitate implementation of the Act.

HSC also appointed Sub-Committees for registration of pesticide under each responsible agency. These Sub-Committees also appointed Working Groups (WG) to be responsible for operation of pesticide registration and regulation. Sub-Committees for Registration of Pesticide under responsibility of DOA appointed WG for:

• Consideration of Pesticide Labels

• Consideration of Toxicological Data of Pesticides

• Consideration of Experimental Designs and Efficacy Results

• Consideration of Biochemical Pesticides Registration

• Consideration of Microbial Pesticides Registration

• Pesticide Surveillance and Evaluation

In addition, the Division of Agricultural Regulatory Inspection has been assigned to monitor pesticide quality used in agriculture throughout the country.

A. Pest and pesticide management

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been put in the nation social and economic development plan since the seventh plan until present (starting from B.E. 2540 [1997]). IPM as well as good agricultural practice (GAP) is the main activity in the Food Safety Programme set by Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives starting from B.E. 2547 (2004). IPM is a collaborative project of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE), the Royal Project and DANIDA. It has been implemented on fruit crops and vegetables in northern, eastern and central regions of Thailand where pesticide is used intensively. This project applied IPM approach in training courses for farmers in Farmer Field Schools in the mentioned regions.

The main constraint is consumer's attitude towards crop performance. Consumers prefer good looking or undestroyed crop products. Therefore it is needed to educate consumer to change their attitudes to safe crop products that do not look so good. It is also needed to train more farmers on IPM through Farmer Field Schools, put up public relations to convince consumers and promote bio-control.

B. Testing, quality control and effects in the field

Registration of a pesticide shall be granted when efficacy test result, label, toxicological data and analytical result are approved. It is required that pesticide samples shall be imported for efficacy test and for analysis of active ingredient and other constituents according to FAO specification of each pesticide.

Office of Plant Protection Research and Development is responsible for efficacy test of pesticide in the field. This agency shall approve experimental design, supervise efficacy test and approve efficacy test result. This Office also approves rate and method of application.

Division of Agricultural Regulatory Inspection, Office of Agricultural Regulatory, monitors pesticide quality by taking samples from the markets and at ports of entry. The analysis of these samples is done by laboratory at Office of Agricultural Production Science Research and Development. The percentage of active ingredient must conform to the percentage proposed for registration. In the year 2004, Office of Agricultural Production Science Research and Development reported that 1 316 samples were analyzed and found that 1 195 samples (90.81 percent) met the standard while 121 samples (9.19 percent) were substandard. The industry supports samples, methods and standards for analysis of pesticides for quality monitoring.

For new pesticides, it is required to conduct residue trial under supervision of Office of Agricultural Production Science Research and Development. Pre-harvest interval (PHI) and maximum residue limit (MRL) shall be determined by this trial.

C. Health and environment information

Health information

Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, in the Annual Epidemiological Surveillance Report 2003, showed that during 1994-2003 the highest number of poisoning incidents occurred in 1998 which were 4 398 cases and rate of cases per 100 000 capita was 7.16 (Figure 1). The rate of cases per 100 000 capita decreased since 1994 until 2003.

In 2003, the number of poisoning incidents was 2 342 cases or 3.72 per 100 000 capita. The poisoning incidents occurred in a rather high number during months of May-August (Figure 2). The northern region was reported to have the highest number of poisoning incidents followed by north-eastern, central and southern regions, respectively (Figure 3). The age that has the highest poisoning incidents was more than 35 years old followed by 25-34 and 15-24 years old, respectively (Figure 4). Farmers were report to have the highest number of poisoning incidents which was 64.86 percent followed by labor workers (Figure 5).

According to Bureau of Occupational and Environmental Disease, the nation-wide screening of people in agricultural sector, using reactive paper test showed that the percentage of population at risk of organophosphates and carbamates (having cholinesterase in blood lower than 75.0 unit/ml) increase continuously from 15.96 percent in 1997 to 29.41 percent in 2002 (Figure 6). The morbidity and death rates due to pesticide poisoning during 1997-2003 were 0.34-1.03 percent. The result of blood screening tests suggests that high exposure of farmers to pesticides is a concerned problem although the health effect severity is not up to acute poisoning case or death.

Figure 1. Reported Cases of Pesticide poisoning per 100 000 Population, by Yera, Thailand, 1994-2003

Figure 2. Reported Cases of Pesticide poisoning by Month Thailand, 1999-2003

Figure 3. Reported Cases of Pesticide poisoning per 100 000 Population, by Region, Thailand, 1999-2003

Figure 4. Reported Cases of Pesticide poisoning per 100 000 Population, by Age-Group, Thailand, 1999-2003

Figure 5. Proportion (%) of Pesticide poisoning by Occupation, Thailand, 2003

Figure 6. Proportion of agriculturers having unsafe blood chlorinesterase level and epidemiological statistics of acute poisoning cases and deaths during 1997-2002

The Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Department of Agricultural Extension, Thai Agri-Business Association and Thai Crop Protection Association arranged training courses on safe use of pesticides for farmers and also put up a campaign to remind farmers to read the label thoroughly before applying a pesticide. Some companies attached simple protective devices, e.g. rubber gloves and cloth pad etc. with pesticides for sale. One company arranged training courses for doctors, nurses, and public health officials on first aid treatment and remedy of poisoned people.

Pesticide residues in food are regulated under the Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979). The extraneous residue limits (ERLs) and maximum residue limit (MRLs) of certain pesticides were determined. Residues of pesticides other than mentioned in the Food Act shall be conformed to Codex MRLs. The Pesticide Residues Research Sub-Division, Office of Agricultural Production Science Research and Development is responsible for pesticide residues research and monitoring. In the year 2003, this Office analyzed 23 525 samples of food crop and found pesticides residue in 4 885 samples (20.76 percent). Out of this, residues exceeded MRLs in 1 007 samples (4.28 percent) and 3 878 samples (16.48 percent) did not exceed MRLs. Pesticides residues often found on food crops were:

Environmental information

Impact of Pesticide Use Sub-Division, Office of Agricultural Production Science Research and Development is responsible for monitoring pesticide contamination in the environment. Samples were collected for analysis of pesticide residues. In the year 2003, number of samples taken from water, soil and sediment were 1964, 560 and 1304, respectively. It was found that the most severe cases were in orange orchards in Fang and Chaiprakarn districts of Chiang Mai province, pesticide residues in water samples were as follows:

Table 1. Type and quantity of pesticide residues found in water resources of Fang and Chaiprakarn district, Chiang Mai Province (2004)

D. Trends in pesticide manufacture, use and trade

Pesticides are not manufactured in Thailand. Almost all of pesticides were imported in both technical grade materials and formulated products. The only one pesticide, which is paraquat dichloride, is imported as methyl chloride to be manufactured.

Table below shows quantities and values of pesticide imported by Thailand.

Table 2. Import Quantities of Pesticides (1981 - 2004)

Thailand also exports pesticides to neighboring countries. In 2004, the export volume was 3 941 tons of active ingredients comprise of insecticides 1 160 tons, fungicides 1 203 tons, herbicides 1 333 tons, plant growth regulators 57 tons and others 188 tons. The quantity of pesticide for use in the country in 2004 was 49 108 tons. The data of import and export quantities were collected at the ports at every shipment. This year (2005), DOA requires that industries should report their production volumes and the channel of pesticide traffic starting from import, production and sale. The illegal trade of pesticides had been reported in 4 cases. All cases were formulating pesticides and sale with out license.

E. Selected standards

The Department of Agriculture decided that pesticides with high acute toxicity (LD 50 <30 mg/kg) have to be put under surveillance scheme. At present, aldicarb, blasticidin-S, carbofuran, dicrotophos, ethoprophos, formetanate, methidathion, methomyl, oxamyl, EPN and endosulfan (CS formulation) are under surveillance scheme. If there is a report on its impact on health and environment, DOA will take action to ban or severely restrict these pesticides.

Pesticide disposal - On the label, it is recommended to rinse the container with water 3 times before destroying and then followed by burying. It is neither recommended to burn the paper or plastic container nor pour the left-over pesticides into natural water resources. Glass bottles are bought and reused by some pesticide formulators. For obsolete pesticides, DOA in collaboration with FAO, had conducted a survey to find out the quantity and sites where the obsolete pesticides are kept. The budget has been requested to be disposal cost of the obsolete pesticides kept in various sites under responsibility of DOA.

National Legislation and Enforcement - Pesticides are classified as type II and III hazardous substances. For type II hazardous substances, it is required to register but not to get license. The industry is required to notify officials on kind of business to be done such as import, production or possession (for sale or service). For type III hazardous substances, the industry is required to register and get license for import, production or possession.

Conclusions and comments

Thailand has voluntarily practiced the Code for many years. The main problem is misuse of pesticide. Farmers do not strictly follow the label. For example, pesticide is used on crop or pest which is not recommended, the pre-harvest interval is not observed, the protective equipment is not applied, etc. The residues found on crop commodities are the main problems. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives promoted organic farming and started the chemical pesticide reduction scheme. This year it is targeted to reduce use of pesticide about 25 percent. To respond to this scheme, DOA decided to cut down import quantity of pesticides under surveillance scheme and promote use of bio-pesticides which is a safer mean for pest control. There are some local bio-pesticides proposed for registration. DOA has set up a working group for bio-pesticide registration. It is hoped that there will be more bio-pesticides registered for use and closer collaboration with Department of Agricultural Extension and the two pesticide associations for training on safe use of pesticides.

QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY

Thailand

Selected Country Statistics:

GDP = Gross Domestic Product; GNI = Gross National Income; Hunger = Population below minimum energy requirement; FAOSTAT = latest data entry between 1998 and 2002

Institutional Profile

Industry Associations: Thai Agri-Business Assoc., Thai Crop Protection Assoc.
Non-Governmental Associations: -

Questionnaire responses: Yes = Yes; - - = No;? = don't know; (blank) = no answer