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PANUPS: Asia/Pacific News Update



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                         P A N U P S
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                   Pesticide Action Network 
                        North America
                       Updates Service
                 http://www.panna.org/panna/
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November 8, 1996

Asia/Pacific Pesticide Use Update: Korean Reduction Policy; 
Indonesian Ban; Indian Market Overview

Korean Pesticide Reduction Policy

The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has 
announced national targets for reducing pesticide use by 50% 
and fertilizer use by 40% by the year 2004. The reduction 
targets, published in July 1996, are based on 1993 usage 
levels. In 1993, South Korea used 25,999 metric tonnes of 
pesticide active ingredients.

Between 1980 and 1995, pesticide use in South Korea increased 
approximately 63% (from 16,132 tonnes to 25,834 tonnes). Much 
of this growth was due to insecticide use on fruits, 
vegetables, ornamentals and greenhouse crops. The main 
insecticides used on fruits and vegetables in South Korea 
include azocyclotin, Bt, clofentezine, deltamethrin, EPN, 
fenvalerate, methidathion and methomyl. Primary insecticides 
used on paddy rice, which accounts for approximately 26% of 
pesticide use in South Korea, include carbofuran, fenobucarb, 
isoprocarb, diazinon, buprofezin and cartap.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry proposes using 
integrated pest management (IPM) and "safe pesticide use" 
strategies for reaching reduction targets, but it does not 
provide details regarding how those programs would work. 
Government institutions that will be affected by the new 
policies are in the process of developing strategies for 
achieving these targets. There is currently an active IPM 
training program being supported by the UN Development 
Programme in the country.

Source/contact: Kevin Gallagher, Asian Sustainable 
Agriculture Research and Consulting, Seokchon Bld. #401, 
1551-5 Scocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-070, Republic of 
Korea; phone (82-2)585-0503; fax (82-2) 585-0504; email 
kevin@soback.kornet.nm.kr.

Indonesia Bans 28 Pesticides

Indonesia's government is banning 28 hazardous pesticide 
active ingredients for use in all crop production, according 
to a June 1996 statement by the Indonesian Minister of 
Agriculture. The decree was issued due to concerns about 
impacts of these pesticides on human health and the 
environment. Since the 1986 Presidential decree which banned 
these same 28 active ingredients for use on rice and 
implemented integrated pest management (IPM) for rice 
nationwide, the  Minister of Agriculture stated that 
Indonesian farmers have adopted other pesticides that are 
"relatively safe and less harmful to human health and the 
environment." The Minister's statement did not mention use of 
non-pesticide alternatives.

The banned pesticides include: acephate, azinphos methyl, 
carbaryl, carbophenothion, chlorpyrifos methyl, cartap 
hydrochloride, diazinon, dichlorvos, endosulfan, etrimfos, 
fenitrothion, fenthion, fonofos, isazophos, malathion, 
mephosfolan, methomyl, methamidaphos, monocrotophos, 
omethoate, piridafenthion, phenthoate, phosphamidon, 
quinalphos, cyanofenphos, triazophos and trichlorfon. 

The decree is structured to phase out pesticide formulations 
containing banned active ingredients as their registrations 
run out. With very few exceptions, no new agricultural use 
registrations will be issued for products made with these 
active ingredients. Some formulations must be removed from 
Indonesia or destroyed within one year of the decree whether 
or not the registrations have expired.

Sources: Decree of the Indonesian Minister of Agriculture, 
Number 473/KPTS/TP.270/6/96; PAN Asia and the Pacific, "Call 
for a Worldwide Ban on Endosulfan," Press Release, June 16, 
1996.
Contact: PANNA (see below).

Indian Market Overview

Approximately 125 companies manufacture more than 60 
technical grade pesticides in India, including Dirty Dozen 
pesticides BHC, DDT and methyl parathion. Government sources 
estimate that between 1994/95 and 1996/97 overall pesticide 
production may fall slightly; however, production is 
predicted to remain the same or increase for certain highly 
hazardous chemicals including DDT, endosulfan, methyl 
bromide, monocrotophos and parathion methyl (see table 
below).

In an effort to reduce dependence on imported chemical 
intermediaries, many companies are acquiring technologies to 
produce the chemicals in India, especially for the 
insecticide endosulfan and the herbicide butachlor. The 
Indian Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers stated that the 
country currently has a total production capacity of 
approximately 126,000 metric tonnes. In the 12-month period 
ending March 31, 1996, companies in India produced 86,000 
metric tonnes of pesticides.

Estimated Indian Production of Selected Pesticides 
(quantities are given in metric tonnes)

Pesticide             1994/95           1996/97
------------------------------------------------
BHC                   32,000            20,000
DDT                    4,300             4,400
Endosulfan             6,700             7,000
Malathion              2,800             4,000
Mancozeb               4,100             4,200
Monocrotophos          8,000            10,000
Parathion-methyl       2,100             2,400
Phorate                4,100             4,100

Source: Agrow: World Crop Protection News, September 27, 
1996.
Contact: PANNA (see below).

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