SOME weeks ago when the vendors were visited at the old Auto Supplies lot where they are now placed, an angry stallholder complained about losses; she explained that the fruit she was purchasing from the farmers could only last a few days “because deh does spray it, so it don’t last long.” This sent a chill through me, invoking memories. It was in late 2005 to early 2006 that I had read a report in the Stabroek News about the death of a citizen who had eaten a papaya.
Before then, I had learnt about the chemical ripening of fruits and vegetables, so I wrote a letter to the newspapers.
I can’t recall exactly how I came into contact with the people at the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board; I think the media had sent them a copy of the letter. But soon enough, I was in communication with the Registrar, Basudeo Dwarka and his Inspector, Trecia David. I later met another Inspector, Vivek Joshi.
CHEMICAL POISONING
The meeting surrounded their knowledge of chemical poisoning in fruit and vegetables locally, and the dilemma of how, with their meagre staff, to reach mostly illiterate farmers.
Inspired by my experiences at the Kuru Kuru College (See article GNNL The Business of Co-Ops, Friday June 10, 2016) I had developed a cartoon team, Bohdoo & Bains, with the intent that it will be used to address farming problems.
We concluded on the preparation of a graphic booklet on PESTS and PESTICIDES. At the time, the thinking was that fruit was compromised because the duration for picking between spraying, and reaping was not adhered to, and that the strength of spraying was too high.
The 20-page graphic magazine was well received, with pages blown up at the Ministry of Agriculture exhibition, held in 2006. Though the Registrar was eager to have the message animated, after I explained the process and the costs, he himself conceded doubts about having, first the political Board understand what he was talking about, much less getting the highly politicised PPP State to approve it, so I moved on to other interests.
The afore-mentioned vendor’s comment prompted me to call the Pesticides Board; I spoke to a pleasant young lady, whose name I think is Divika. I told her why I was calling; that it was about the spraying of fruit and vegetables to hasten ripening. I gave her my contact numbers; she informed me that the Registrar was not there, and that most of the people from before about whom I had enquired were not there anymore. I received no response up to the penning of this column.

‘WORSE THAN TERRORISTS’

This is a serious problem; I have always wondered how our cancer rate is so high in relation to our relatively small population. Research led me to an article in the August 20, 2015 edition of ‘THE TIMES OF INDIA’. I was struck by the term used by the Hyderabad High Court, which, in its pronouncement on farmers who indulge in this practice, described them as being “worse than terrorists…”
The full quote reads: “For earning some extra rupees, you are putting scores of lives at risk. Such traders are worse than terrorists, killing generations of people with slow poison, the acting chief justice said.”
It appears that farmers pick fruits before they ripen naturally and treat them with Calcium Carbide; the compounds of Calcium Carbide are acetylene and calcium cyanamide, which are extremely harmful to the human body.
Medical sources have long contended [for decades!] that calcium carbide is a proven carcinogen which contains traces of arsenic and can cause cancer, kidney disorders and other neurological disorders. Worse, many traders inject harmful chemical sweeteners in fruits to make them taste unnaturally sweet.

HERE IN GUYANA
How long has this been happening in Guyana? I am sure over five years. This might be naive, but my base is not on guess work. It was about five years ago that I semi-managed a colleague’s leased farmlands in Kamuni Creek. On a trip up the creek, the operative of another farm told me that he had found a way to produce pears outside of the season.
I was baffled, but could not get details at that moment, because the boat ride involved visitors whose cross-gyaff intercepted our conversation, so I never learned the method.
Now I am beginning to understand the term, Frankenstein Foods, which I thought only referred to GMO (Genetic Modified Foods), another development Guyana should stay far away from. We should not be importing Monsanto and like agriculture products. If we do, then it should stop, because I am told that such packaged seeds are been sold here.

CONTROL MEASURES
How do we regulate our food suppliers, so as to be able to identify who is producing and supplying what? This is not too difficult: Enrol them in district groups to which they receive an overall certificate with corresponding documentation for vendors.
We are talking about the poisoning of a nation. The judge in India is right; this is terrorism, whether driven by greed or desperation.
The State has to take a serious position on this matter; the poisoning of the nation must be criminalised. Persons indulging in this method will only respond to the deterrent of possible jail time; this is how other countries deal with the health of their citizens. A value must be placed on the inevitable fact that we will most likely purchase willingly contaminated fruit and vegetables.
I can only call on my colleagues in the media to explore this threat to our national wellbeing. The fruit vendors know, and possibly assume nobody cares, because, they presume, it possibly isn’t harmful.
Well, it is. Another source told me about a not so dangerous fruit ripening chemical called ethylene.
Further research into ethylene proved that the hormone effects on plant growth by ethylene was first noted in 1864, when leakage from gas street lighting systems caused stunting and deformation in nearby plants.
Could this be termed a positive development on plant life, or an indicator of suitability for human life?