Paraguay

An FAO financed Technical Cooperation Programme(TCP) provided US$288,000 for completion of a national inventory and a pilot disposal operation. The inventory was completed by a national team trained and supervised by a Bolivian expert. The inventory shows the presence of nearly 600 tonnes of obsolete pesticides. Discussions are underway with the Government and potential donors to finance and implement a national project for complete elimination of the obsolete pesticides and a programme for capacity building in pest and pesticide life cycle management.

Of particular concern is a large pesticide store in the capital Asunción which was severely damaged by fire in 2003. Most of the pesticides have been secured temporarily in shipping containers, but there is an urgent need to safely remove all of the products and the contamination caused by the fire. FAO is working with the government in an effort to resolve the situation quickly and effectively.

A pilot disposal operation to remove and destroy 25 tonnes of obsolete pesticides from a store of the Cotton and Tobacco Production Organization (OFAT) in Paraguari was completed in April 2007 under FAO supervision. The waste was repackaged by trained Parguayan personnel and exported to France for incineration in a dedicated hazardous waste treatment facility.