Agriculture Minister Dr. Mahendra Reddy

The use of paraquat and insecticide imidacloprid will be banned from 1st January next year.

Agriculture Minister Dr. Mahendra Reddy says there will be no importation, use or sale of this product.

Dr. Reddy reveals that Paraquat was the second most commonly used means of suicide, involving 117 cases which equates for 21 percent of total suicide cases and also accounted for 27 percent of attempted suicides, 144 cases in total in Fiji between 2014 and 2018.

Dr. Reddy says through research, they found that insecticide imidacloprid contributes to the reduction of the colony of bees.

He adds instead, farmers can use alternative chemicals that are already in the market.

Dr. Reddy says insecticides such as Multi-Guard 1.8 EC, Superguard, Bifenthrin, and Chlorpyrifos can be used.

He adds the Ministry is currently working with pesticide dealers to identify other alternatives, to register them and make them available for Fijian farmers.

The Cabinet, noting a submission from the Ministry of Agriculture, had endorsed the recommendation to ban the importation, sale, and use of Paraquat and Imidacloprid.