Jump to full article: Daily Times (mw), 2008-05-15
Author: HENRY MCHAZIME
Intro: Major players in the tobacco industry in the country have stressed that the re-introduction of Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT) by the health sector to curb malaria would threaten sales of tobacco on the global market.
This follows Ministry of Health interest in 2006 to bring back DDT which is one of the known synthetic pesticides to be used in the country to halt reproduction of mosquitoes which spread the killer disease.
During a media briefing in Salima on Sunday Executive Director for Agricultural Research and Extension Trust (Aret) Ibrahim Phiri said chances for DDT contamination to tobacco remain very high in rural areas where tobacco is mostly grown.
"As an industry we have been consulted on the use of DDT especially in rural areas where malaria is wrecking havoc but there is a conflict here as health officials are trying to protect us from this killer disease while we are looking at protecting the country's major forex earner from being shunned on the international market," said Phiri.
He added that Malawi's tobacco may be threatened if the country accepts DDT re-introduction as there would be scepticism on whether the leaf is pure.
Jump to full article » |