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Current pest control practices in Thailand rely primarily on chemical methods.
Cotton and vegetable crops, in particular, require large amounts of pesticides.
The intensification of cotton production has led to an increase in the incidence
of pests and diseases (FAO 1988), resistant species, and pest resurgence
problems.
Thailand imported 65.2 million USD (cost including freight) of pesticides in
1987 (Fig. 1). Typically, 50% of the imports, by value, were insecticides, 30%
herbicides, and the rest fungicides and other miscellaneous pesticides. Most
of the insecticides are used on rice, cotton, and vegetables. The herbicide
market is focused on sugarcane, pineapple, rubber, and rice (ADB 1987).
Except for paraquat, which is produced locally from imported intermediates,
pesticides are either imported as finished products or as technical grade
ingredients and formulated in Thailand.
Prevalence of pesticide poisoning
In general, epidemiologic description of poisoning in Malaysia is hindered by
lack of coordination in data collection. The best sources of information have
been in-patient data and laboratory reports from government hospitals and
records from the Chemistry Department of the Ministry of Science, Technology
and the Environment.
Data from this Ministry from 1979 to 1986 suggest that most poisonings are
due to pesticides: mainly the widely used herbicide, paraquat (Fig. 2). Ministry
of Health information indicates that, in some cases, multiple agents are
involved. Circumstances surrounding these poisonings show that 49.1% were
intentional and 37.8% were accidental.
12 -
10 -
8-
6-
4-
2-
0
Insecticides and Others Fungicides E2 Herbicides
ii
a
0
0'
1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
33
a
A
Fig. 1. Quantities of insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides
imported by Thailand, 1976-1985.
04