Glyphosate Pesticide: Minister Says Not Officially Banned

In relation to national and international controversy over the use of the herbicide Roundup, trade name of glyphosate (a pest control insecticide), the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe, has stated that the product has not been officially banned from use in any country around the world. He was responding to a question from Hon Amadou Adji of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP) party who questioned government on the measures adopted to reduce the devastating effects of the product considered to be a probable cause of cancer. This was during a question and answer plenary sitting of the National Assembly on June 14, 2019 chaired by the House Speaker, Hon. Cavaye Yeguié Djibril in the presence of the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, Bolvine Wakata.

In his response, the Minister said there is a controversy on the product which has been scientifically classified as slightly dangerous, perhaps dangerous for animals but not for humans. With currently no substitution for the product against pest, Minister Gabriel Mbairobe advised farmers to use the pesticide in conformity with the user’s manual. “The problem is there is no substitution for this insecticide. This pesticide is very important for farmers because you know without this insecticide, farmers will need to do so much manual labour before planting crops. We are trying to research abou...