The Public Health Ministry has called on the Hazardous Substance Committee (HSC) not to back down over its decision to ban three agrochemicals from Dec 1, saying that people's health must be the ministry's top priority.
Dealing with the economic impact of the ban was not the ministry's duty, the ministry said.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday ahead of Tuesday's protest against the ban by farmers at Government House, and tomorrow's meeting of the HSC, Public Health Minister Auntin Charnvirakul announced that his ministry would not accept any reversal of the Oct 22 resolution to ban the chemicals.
"We will only support the resolution dated Oct 22 for a ban on all three agrochemicals. We don't see any reason to postpone [the ban]. We are more concerned about people's health.
"We don't care about the economic impact [of the ban] because it is beyond the ministry's responsibilities," he said, adding that he saw no reason to suspend the ban for six months as requested by opponents.
Mr Anutin said the health damage caused by using paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos was confirmed by both domestic and international studies, while the chemicals also contaminated the environment.
Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary for public health, said data on the three chemicals' toxicity submitted to the HSC and related agencies led to the resolution for a ban from Dec 1.
Dr Sukhum agreed with Mr Anutin, saying public health took priority in this case.
The ministry found 11 provinces where the chemical trio was being used in high volumes to protect rice, maize, sugarcane and rubber crops.
The provinces are home to around 1.7 million pregnant women, whose unborn babies are thought to be especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of the agrochemicals.
Paisan Dankhum, secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that as a member of the HSC he will vote to oppose any change to the original resolution.
Speculation is rife that the HSC will tomorrow consider the Agriculture Department's proposal to postpone the ban for another six months to allow management of over 30,000 tonnes of the stockpiled agrochemicals if the ban comes into effect on Dec 1.
After that date, stocks of chemicals must be reported within 15 days and returned to shops within 30 days. Violators face a penalty of 10 years in prison or a one-million-baht fine, or both.