KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Agriculture has ordered a crack down against those companies and retailers who were involved in illegal or counterfeit pesticides. He said this while chairing a high level meeting was held in Karachi on Tuesday. Secretary Agriculture and other officials also attended the meeting. The meeting reviewed the performance of agriculture in the province. Minister Siyal said that it was prime object of the Sindh government to take such steps which could benefit the poor farmers. Government would not compromise to achieve this target. He directed the Agriculture Department that counterfeit and illegal pesticides should not be allowed throughout the province. “Steps should be taken so that illegal pesticides business should not thrive in the province.” Pesticides are chemical compounds that are used to kill pests, including insects, rodents, fungi and unwanted plants (weeds). According to World Health Organization, pesticides are used in public health to kill vectors of disease, such as mosquitoes, and in agriculture, to kill pests that damage crops. Children are at greater risk from exposure to pesticides because of their small size: relative to their size, children eat, drink, and breathe more than adults. Their bodies and organs are growing rapidly, which also makes them more susceptible; in fact, children may be exposed to pesticides even while in the womb. The trade in counterfeit and illegal pesticides is growing in Sindh. With increasing quantities of fake and illegal pesticides marketed and sold by organized way, counterfeit and illegal pesticides present real risks to farmer’s health, the environment and the economy. Illegal pesticides usually come into Pakistan from foreign countries. These pesticides are illegal because they have not been evaluated by the environmental protection agencies to ensure their use will not harm people or the environment. Published in Daily Times, August 9th 2017.