Viewpoint: ‘This is like banning life-saving medicines because some patients take overdoses’: Pakistan debates banning key agricultural chemicals that some say are misused

A proposed government ban on 12 widely used agrochemicals has triggered alarm across Pakistan’s agriculture sector as experts warn it can cripple crop yields, inflate costs for farmers and destabilise food security.

The proposal, discussed during a recent meeting of the Agricultural Pesticides Technical Advisory Committee, bypassed stakeholder consultations and statutory procedures, raising concerns about its scientific basis and long-term consequences….CropLife Pakistan Executive Director Muhammad Rasheed stressed that the ban targeted active ingredients without addressing the root issue, misuse by farmers and poor handling during storage.

“This is like banning life-saving medicines because some patients take overdose; the problem is not the pesticides themselves but how they are applied. We need better enforcement and education, not elimination,” Rasheed said…

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The 12 active ingredients under threat are vital for controlling pests in major crops like rice, wheat, cotton, fruits and vegetables. Removing them, experts warn, could slash yields, drive up production costs and leave farmers vulnerable to pest outbreaks. With limited alternatives available, abrupt bans risk accelerating pest resistance, making future control even harder.

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