by Melani Manel Perera

Pesticides could be the main culprit, especially glyphosate, an herbicide known for its high level of toxicity. The government has banned the compound, but expert opinion warns that more controls are needed. Even young farmers are getting sick.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – Farmers in the districts of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa (Northern Central Province) and Monaragala (Uva Province) show higher rates of liver cancer and chronic liver diseases.

The constant use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides – especially glyphosate – has increased the death rate among farmers, including those in their 20s, this according to Dr Channa Jayasumana,

In two different studies, the pharmacologist looked at how and why farmers in these districts are more prone to develop cancer than farmers in other areas.

Glyphosate is a systemic herbicide used to kill weeds. Several studies have demonstrated the compound’s high toxicity, and blamed it for irreversible diseases and genetic changes in farm animals.

Two days ago, the government of Sri Lanka banned the use of the herbicide, following Dr Jayasumana’s investigation.

"In the past, we found people 50 and over with this type of problems. Today, very young people, including 25-year-olds, face the same risk,” said Dr Jayasumana.

Samantha Gunasekera, former deputy director at Bio-Diversity and Cultural and National Heritage at Sri Lanka Customs, said that the mere banning of harmful herbicide glyphosate would not be of any benefit to the country, unless the government established an accredited agrochemical quality assurance laboratory and set up an enforcement mechanism to monitor what the agrochemical companies marketed.

• sri
• lanka
• chemical
• pesticides
• agriculture
• mortality
• rates
• farmers