Inter-Ministerial Committee reviews pesticide use and public health concerns

The need for stronger regulation, aggressive campaign on pesticide use among planters, and monitoring and scientific assessment of pesticide use in food-crop cultivation was at the centre of discussions at the first meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the abusive use of pesticides and its potential impact on public health, held yesterday in Ebene.

The Committee was co-chaired by the Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Dr Arvin Boolell, and the Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Anil Kumar Bachoo. Its establishment follows a Cabinet decision to examine concerns relating to pesticide abuse and cancer prevalence in Mauritius.

The Junior Minister, Mrs Anishta Babooram, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative, Dr Abdou Salam Gueye, and stakeholders from both Ministries amongst others were present.

In a statement, Minister Boolell stressed the importance of establishing a strong scientific and evidence-based understanding of the potential health effects of pesticide exposure. He called for an epidemiological study to assess the prevalence and possible causes of cancer, including whether exposure to pesticides through locally produced and imported food could be a contributing factor.

He emphasised that the expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the WHO would be sought to conduct a comprehensive assessment based on facts, scientific evidence and reliable data. Such research, he said, would provide the authorities with the evidence needed to formulate appropriate policy and regulatory measures, guide planters on the proper use and application of pesticides, and establish maximum permissible residue levels.

Minister Boolell also called for strict compliance with the Use of Pesticides Act, noting that intensive agricultural practices and the inappropriate use of pesticides, including the mixing of different products and the use of banned substances, remain matters of concern. He indicated that around 9 to 10 per cent of samples tested have been found to contain pesticide residues exceeding permissible limits.

He underlined the need for a more robust approach to enforcement and greater awareness among planters of the health and environmental consequences of non-compliance. “Prevention is better than cure,” he stressed, calling for an aggressive and coordinated policy to strengthen compliance, monitoring and enforcement.

The Minister further highlighted the importance of ensuring that planters use appropriate personal protective equipment to safeguard their own health and that of their families, particularly children. He indicated that the relevant legislations could be reviewed and amended, where necessary, to ensure the safe, appropriate and responsible use of pesticides.

Minister Boolell also encouraged the agricultural sector to embrace smart and sustainable farming practices, including greater adoption of organic agriculture, while urging planters to act responsibly in the use of pesticides.

For his part, Minister Bachoo highlighted the urgency of addressing the growing cancer burden, noting that around 300 new cases are recorded every month, with women particularly affected. He acknowledged concerns that pesticide exposure could be contributing to the rise in cancer cases, but stressed that no such link could be established without supporting scientific research and reliable data.

He also warned that the excessive or improper use of pesticides could pose serious risks to public health, underscoring the need for a robust and integrated monitoring framework.

Minister Bachoo called for a shift from isolated initiatives towards a coordinated national framework bringing together regulation, surveillance, laboratory testing, environmental monitoring and public-health data. Such an approach, he said, would enable Mauritius to better understand pesticide exposure, strengthen the protection of citizens’ health, support the agricultural sector and generate the scientific evidence needed to address concerns surrounding pesticides and cancer prevalence.

06 October 2026

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Topics: Health, Agriculture