Deputy Agriculture Minister Mananya Thaiset will on Monday ask the Department of Agriculture (DA) to explain why it has asked for a six-month delay on the ban of three toxic farm chemicals.
Ms Mananya, who supports the ban, told the media yesterday she was perplexed when the department last Thursday suddenly proposed the ministry postpone the ban of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, three widely-used yet hazardous farm chemicals which have been restricted or banned in several other countries already.
"I have talked to department officials several times over the fast few months. I have also travelled to provincial offices to get information and we have discussed the deadline and no one suggested a postponement," Ms Mananya said.
Last Thursday, she said she had held a meeting with high-ranking DA executives about the department's readiness to confiscate the three chemicals from farmers and traders.
"I ask them four times whether or not they agreed with the timeline. They assured me 'no problem'," she said.
Ms Mananya said the department will be asked to clarify the exact amount of remaining inventory and financial losses incurred from the confiscation.
"The figures provided by the department constantly change. One day, the inventory of banned chemicals is 38,000 tonnes but the next day it's only 28,000.
"Meanwhile, the department will only give a ballpark figure of 32 billion baht for the financial losses but will not provide details of the affected farmers," she said, adding the Department of Agriculture and Cooperatives (DAC) had given a clear proposal that it wanted 200 million baht to assist 100,000 farmers.
The prohibition against the trade, use and possession of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos -- announced late last month by the National Hazardous Substances Committee (NHSC) -- will take effect from Dec 1.
Farmers and traders must send back these three chemicals to the DAC for disposal.
Opponents of the ban, including affected farmers and farm chemical traders, will gather at the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry tomorrow for a peaceful protest, hopes to discuss their concerns with minister Chalermchai Sri-on.
The NHSC will meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation after it was revealed by its chairman and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit that 75% of more than 48,000 people said they disagreed with the ban in a recent survey revealed at a public hearing.