THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE announced on Monday that it has drawn up a timetable to ban use of 12 highly toxic pesticides within five years. Legal Daily commented on Thursday:

The timetable to weed out the highly toxic pesticides has finally been disclosed. The production and use of aldicarb, phorate, and isocarbophos will cease at the end next year; endosulfan and methyl bromide by the end of 2019, ethoprop, omethoate, methyl isothiocyanate, and aluminium phosphide by the end of 2020; and chloropicrin, carbofuran, and methomyl by the end of 2022.

However, strict supervision will be needed to ensure the effective execution of the timetable.

On the one hand, the authorities will need to raise awareness of the potential harm that these pesticides can cause to the environment, humans and animals so that farmers and producers know the reasons they are banned.

Local officials should also be made aware that banning the highly toxic pesticides will benefit the local environment and public health.

On the other hand, there should be an accountability system to force the relevant authorities at various levels to take their supervision responsibilities seriously so that they effectively enforce the ban.

The schedule for banning the use of the 12 pesticides is only the first step toward eliminating the highly toxic pesticides. The ministry should publish a more detailed action plan, especially highlight the applicable rules and laws to those violators and officials failing to fulfill their duties in the work, continue to tighten market access and make greater efforts to popularize green pest control technology.