New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Bangladesh is facing acute environmental and public‑health risks from rising pesticide and chemical fertiliser use, a new report has said.
The report from Dhaka-based The Daily Star said that chemical fertiliser application has surged from a historical rate of 8.8 kg per hectare to 700 kg per hectare.
A study conducted in rice fields in the Jhenaidah and Kushtia districts found that the combined use of chemical fertilisers and different pesticides significantly reduced the nitrogen and carbon content of the soil.
Such abuse of fertilisers and pesticides alters soil microbial diversity, inhibits soil respiration and leads to soil infertility, the report said, adding that it has become a “major environmental concern” in the country.
The report blamed weaknesses in pesticide governance, inadequate monitoring, weak enforcement, poor institutional coordination, and limited accountability for the environmental concern.
Administration’s poor oversight of pesticide sales and use, along with insufficient training and awareness, led to the misuse and overuse of these chemicals.
The Soil Resource Development Institute in 2022 reported about 80 per cent of agricultural land is losing organic matter and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) survey in 2025 reported 44.37 per cent of farmland is productive and sustainable, but only 1.20 per cent qualified as highly efficient.
“Data from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) show that approximately 77 per cent of farmers apply pesticides more than twice during a cropping season, while nearly 95 per cent do not observe the recommended pre-harvest interval (PHI) before harvesting,” the report said.
Pesticide imports have risen sharply over recent decades, from 3,000 metric tonnes in 1990 to over 45,000 metric tonnes in 2021.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), under the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the principal agency responsible on this front apparently exercised limited oversight of local markets, where farmers continue to use numerous unknown and unregistered pesticide products.
“Illegal, expired, and highly hazardous pesticides are reportedly entering the country through unauthorised channels and being sold without regulatory approval,” the report noted.
—IANS
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