Farmers Oppose D.D.T. Restriction

Press, Issue 30247, 27 September 1963, Page 7

Farmers Oppose D.D.T. Restriction

Tlte Mini star of AgricuQjture CMr Taibays) will be asked by North Canterbury Federated Farmers to permit the continued use; under perm it, of wet-mix DJJ.T. for drilling purposes on pastures and root crops on cultivated land. A resolution to this effect was passed by the executive after the president (Mr A. C. Wrigtut), had outlined information about the possible restriction or complete banning of D.D.T. which is ait present being considered by the Agricultural Chemicals Board.

Mr Wright said a resolution should be passed and sent directly to the Minister before the new regulations were announced.

“If this anxiety about D.D.T. causes ill-conceived restrictions on the production, use and development of new chefioals, it will be the consumer who suffers,” said Mr Wright. “If, on the other

hand, it makes farmers heed the present regulations more carefully it will aid in the

educational efforts in ufiich our industry is engaged.” At its meeting last week, the meat and wool section passed a resolution iisking that the regulations be more rigidly enforced and that bigger penalties be enforced on offenders. “I do not think I need warn you that the restrictive use or complete banning of D.D.T. could have very serious consequences in the dry and irrigated areas of Canterbury,” said Mr Wright.

If farmers were farced to use only prills or granulated DD.T. it would be two years before granulated D.D.T. could be put on the market. The cost of a granulating plant would be anywhere between £55,000 and £135,000.

Manufacturers would naturally want some assurance that DD.T. was not to be completely withdrawn in the next four or five years. If it were, they could not be expected to bear the full cost of installing a granulating plant he said.

At present there were no granulating plants in the South Island and if any were introduced, not every area would require one. Mr Wright suggested one at either end of the island. If farmers had to resort to the use of prills, then DD.T, because of the expense of the prills, would have to be used as an insurance.

At the moment, he said there was no satisfactory substitate for DD.T. although experiments were being carried out with other organic chemicals, some of which were not particularly successful. One under experiment would cost about £9 an acre to apply. “It is interesting to note the composition of the Agricultural Chemicals Board, which is making the recommendations to the Minister on the future application of D.D.T," said Mr Wright “It consists of representatives of manufacturers,

grape-growers. beekeepers, vegetable growers, fruit growers. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture and Federated Farmers. It is interesting to note there is no trained entomologist on the board, nor, I understand, in the whole Department at Agriculture.”