Myanmar

by U. Myo Myint

Introduction

In Myanmar, the Pesticide Law in line with the FAO guidelines has been enacted in 1990. In exercise of the powers conferred under section 50 (a) of the Pesticide Law, the Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation with the approval of the government, has prescribed the procedures relating to the Pesticide Law, in 1991. The government of the Union of Myanmar, formed the Pesticide Registration Board (PRB) constituted with 10 competent authorities from Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Forest, Ministry of Livestock Breeding & Veterinary and Ministry of Trade, in 1992.

The first meeting of PRB was held in 1992 and so far 13 PRB meetings have been convened with the support of the Technical Committee, formed with technical personals of the relevant ministries. The office of the PRB was opened at the Plant Protection Division of Myanmar Agriculture Service the premise where the secretary of PRB and most of technical members attend their offices.

The management and control activities being carried out by the PRB are as follow:

(1) Registration of pesticides

The registration of pesticides is considered on product basis. According to the Law the pesticides to be used in the country or to be exported must have one of the following registration or use permit.

(a) Experimental registration

(b) Provisional registration

(c) Full registration

(d) Special use permit

Experimental registration is meant to pesticides those require detail observation before permitting a provisional registration, and only allowed for specified application on a limited area for a maximum period of two years.

The pesticides which have been using in the country, from the time of Law enactment and measured to be acceptable in bio-efficacy and toxicology aspects could have Provisional Registration and reach a marketable stage. More practical and detail evaluation undergo being the 5 year period of provisional registration.

Full registration is to be permitted for 10 year after provisional periods studies are satisfactory.

Special use permit is issued for emergency use considered inevitable for the control and prevention of unanticipated pest incidence.

Amendment of registration means alteration of the original registration for any of the followings with respect to the registered pesticides:

• change of formulation

• expanding the field of application

• formulation and production under a new name by a third person using the active ingredient contained in a pesticide registered by a manufacturer with the consent of the manufacturer

Until the year 2004, products have been scrutinized for their efficacy, toxicity, quality and other necessary parameters and granted the registration type mentioned below.

A. Pest and pesticide management

IPM for sustainable agriculture

To support sustainable development in agriculture control method compatible to IPM strategy has been emphasized among other plant protection measures. The pesticide should be used judiciously as a last resort in IPM strategy. Many IPM supporting activities are being carried out by PPD, MAS and listed below.

Biological control measures

The development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practice with strong emphasis on biological control works as a part of Integrated Pest Management program is being carried out for the following pests and diseases:

B. Testing, quality control and effects in the field

Quality control

Parameters examined

• safety of packaging

• a.i. content

• emulsion stability/suspension stability

• wet sieve test/dry sieve test

• pH

• storage stability

The quality control programme carried out by the Pesticide Analytical Laboratory, PPD, MAS, indicated that number of products in line with FAO specification has significantly increased since the enforcement of the Law. On the other hand, only illegal products coming in through border areas remain to be controlled.

C. Health and environmental information

In 2003 general survey was conducted in 16 states and divisions hospitals. The data of the collection on poisoning status of the hospitalized cases is as follows.

Distribution of the Acute Pesticide Poisoning Cases by Type in 2003

Distribution of the Acute Organophosphorus Pesticide Poisoning Cases by Category in 2003

Where "Unsp" stands for unspecified poisoning

Plant Protection Division, Pesticide Analytical Laboratory (PAL) is monitoring the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) in marketing crops; cabbage, tomato and pulses. National Food Law was enacted in 1997 and also monitoring for food safety and standardization has just started under the Ministry of Health.

Residues survey in food commodities and violation of MRL's (1989-2005)

* LD = Limit of detection

D. Trends in pesticide manufacture, use and trade

Pesticide production

There are three pesticide formulation plants in Myanmar. Two are neem formulation plants in Paleik and Pakokku another one is pilot pesticide formulation plant in Hmawbi established by UNIDO Aid in 1990. Registered technical grades are imported and formulated in that plant.

Pesticide Formulation in Hmawbi Pesticide Formulation Plant

quantities in actual liter

After year 2000, pesticide production stopped due to mechanical failure.

Neem Pesticide Production in Myanmar

The import of pesticides is shown in the following table:

Pesticide import to Myanmar during (1992-93 to 2003-2004)

Data of pesticide consumption in Myanmar points out that the pesticide consumption is very low compared to many neighbouring countries. The agriculture use contributes to 90 percent of total amount.

Many years ago, OC pesticides such as aldrin, endrin, BHC (especially r BHC, Lindane) DDT were used for agriculture and public health and now there are plans to ban endosulfan, the last organo-chlorine compound being used in Myanmar.

E. Selected standards

Hazard classifi cation of pesticides to be allowed for registration in Myanmar based on the WHO recommended guide lines. (1993-2004)

Licenses under the legislation

Certified Pesticide Applicator Training (1993 to date)

Existing laws relating to control of toxic chemicals

1. The Government of Myanmar has enacted the Pesticide Law in 1990. The Law monitors and controls the selection, storage, transportation and use of pesticides to protect people, crops, other biological entities and the environment.
   
   
2. The Factories Act 1951 controls factories involved with chemical, particularly hazardous or toxic chemicals.
   
   
3. The Union of Myanmar Public Health Law, 1972 also controls the toxic substances used as consumer products and some purposes for human health.
   
   
4. The National Food Law, 1997 controls the food safety and food quality to protect consumers' health. (Food and Drug

In line with the Stockholm Convention, Myanmar has banned 9 pesticides out of 12 POPs.

Existing national legislation on POPs (Pesticides) in Myanmar

Myanmar is having access to the Rotterdam Convention to implement PIC procedure. Director General of Department of Agricultural Planning was designated as DNA but Plant Protection Division is carrying out notification of fi nal regulatory action and importing country response.

Status of control management for 26 pesticides subject to PIC list in Myanmar is as below.

List of Restricted Pesticides

(by notification no: 1/94 of Pesticide Registration Board, 23^rd March 1994)

List of Banned Pesticides in Myanmar

(by notification no: 1/96 of Pesticide Registration Board, 1^st August 1996)

Conclusions and comments

In Myanmar, being an agriculture country, it is deemed that pesticides cannot be abandoned for agriculture production for a foreseeable future. IPM packages by crops have been developed in cotton, rice, pulses and some vegetable with strong emphasis on less use of pesticides.

On the other hand, pesticide can cause not only human health and environmental problem but also can have negative impact on the economy of an agriculture exporting country (e.g. trade interception due to legal limits of pesticides content in food).

Though the acute poisoning of these chemicals are fairly observed, the chronic aspect seems to be less knowledge and current awareness service is urgent needed for both producers and consumers in food safety aspect.

PRB of Myanmar recognizes the depth and wideness of the scope of pesticide management and calls for better co-operation with farmers for the sound and effective use of pesticides for clean and green agriculture.

QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY

Myanmar

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:
Non-Governmental Associations: -

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