Smuggling of banned pesticides a problem in Gaza
Misuse of pesticides in Gaza’s agricultural industry poses a dangerous risk to farmers and consumers of Gazan produce.
KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip — Nemacur is one of the agricultural pesticides that the Ministry of Agriculture in the Gaza Strip warns against on its website. On April 19, I headed to visit the companies that import and sell agricultural pesticides in Gaza City, and in less than two minutes was able to buy Nemacur without a permit from the ministry. Another store did refuse to sell it without a permit.
The pesticide shops are located next to one another in the old market in the Gaza Strip. Ibrahim Haboush, the owner of one of the shops, told Al-Monitor, “The Ministry of Agriculture periodically controls the goods in the shops, but it does not cater to the farmers’ needs.”
