who tief di fertiliser? fuss sand now [censored] ...ah sah

[evanovitch]

There is no word yet from Agriculture Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton on reports that more than 1,000 bags of low cost fertiliser which were imported by the Government late last year have been stolen.

The fertiliser, which is valued at millions of dollars, was removed from the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) warehouse on Church Street in Kingston.

When contacted, Dr. Tufton said he was in a meeting but indicated he would respond to queries about the missing fertiliser as soon as he could.

RJR News understands that Senator Norman Grant, JAS President, is off the island and efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.

The JAS has set up a committee to probe the circumstances under which the fertiliser left the warehouse.

The disappearance comes just four months after the Agriculture Ministry imported 700 tons of the cheap product.

The shipments were ordered, following <span style="font-weight: bold">a dramatic increase in the price of organic fertiliser supplied by the country's sole supplier, Newport Fersan Limited. </span>

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: who tief di fertiliser? fuss sand now [censored] ...ah sah

Probably exported by the local fertilizer manufacturer

[evanovitch]

Faeces in fertilizer spark raging debate in Parliament

Faeces in fertilizer spark raging debate in Parliament
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Questions have been raised in the wake of disturbing revelations in Parliament that low cost fertiliser which has been imported by the Government contains human waste.

The issue sparked an ugly row between Government and Opposition law makers at Gordon House during Tuesday sitting of Parliament.

In a bold declaration, Agriculture Minister Dr. Chris Tufton surprisingly revealed that the cheap fertiliser the Government imports from the United States (US) is made with human excreta.


Dr. Tufton who stoutly defended the imports and insisted that the product made primarily from domestic sludge and waste water <span style="font-weight: bold">has been tested by the US authorities</span>.

&quot;Those tests were done and concluded that the product was a good product and would have worked which led us to ordering the product. Subsequent to some of the concerns raised by the member, we did further checks with the US Environmental Protection Agency which essentially gave the product a clean bill of health,&quot; he said.

But Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture Roger Clarke would have none of it, demanding answers from Dr .Tufton about the implications of using imported fertiliser containing human waste.

&quot;Human faeces (imported) to Jamaica, I am asking out of the interests of not just the Jamaican farmer but the Jamaican people, what is the protocol in place with the use of it,&quot; asked Mr. Clarke.

But Government Members chastised Mr. Clarke, accusing him of using scare-mongering tactics.

&quot;The Member's outburst is disgraceful, absolutely disgraceful,&quot; said Dr. Tufton.

Member Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett also weighed in.

&quot;He should withdraw the statement and apologize to the nation and the Government for saying that and I demand that he apologize to this House and the nation for accusing the Government of importing feces into the country,&quot; he said.

Local authorities must sign off on imported products - Clarke

Meanwhile Leader of the Opposition People's National Party (PNP), Leader Portia Simpson-Miller, is demanding that Prime Minister Bruce Golding tell the country why fertiliser containing human excrement was allowed to be imported for the agricultural sector.

Mrs. Simpson-Miller who was speaking at a PNP workers meeting in Buff Bay, Portland Tuesday night, said she was extremely concerned that the fertiliser had already been distributed.

Her statement came hours after Mr. Clarke called for tests to be conducted locally on the fertiliser.

Mr. Clarke said he was alarmed that the Agriculture Minister had relied solely on the opinion of overseas experts instead of carrying out independent tests before deciding to import the product.

&quot;All I wanted to know is if our local people had done testing and (Dr. Tufton) told me no ... one has to be very, very clear when we're importing these kind of stuff from abroad, the local authority here must sign off on it too,&quot; he said.

Excreta must be properly treated - Dr. Davidson

In the meantime, RJR News consulted a medical doctor to ascertain whether there are any risks to persons consuming agricultural produce which were grown by fertiliser containing human excreta.


Picture courtesy of the GLEANER.Public Health Specialist Dr. Winston Davidson says if the excreta is not properly treated for use in the manufacturing of fertiliser, it could pose a health risk.

He says this could result in the transmission of diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever.

&quot;The quality of the excreta is very important ... if it contains human biological matter; this matter has to be properly degraded, properly dried and made into mulch, otherwise you can in fact cause the contamination of water supply as in surface water or underground water which will have implications for your food and your health,&quot; said Dr. Davidson, who is also Head of the National Tele-medicine Project.

He added that fertiliser containing poorly treated human excreta also poses a threat to the water table as dangerous bacteria could cause contamination.

Russian cancellation

And the Government has not provided an explanation for its decision to scrap plans to import fertiliser from Russia.

Dr. Tufton disclosed in Parliament on Tuesday that the deal had been abandoned but gave no details on what led to the deal being shelved.

Concern was expressed last year following news that large quantities of fertiliser were coming from Russia as well as the northern Ukrainian city of Chernobyl.

Chernobyl was evacuated in 1986 as a result of a major nuclear disaster.

The Opposition PNP had demanded that the Government disclose exactly where the product would originate.

Dr. Tufton was quick to offer the assurance that the administration would not import contaminated fertiliser.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Faeces in fertilizer spark raging debate in Parliament

That is what Jamaica gone to?/
Importing US sh't and use taxpayer money to pay for it?? They don't even allow it to be used here for food. Not even to do lawns. Who is checking these things.
Can you Imagine future headline, &quot; US ban Jamaican food export because it has been foind to contain pharmacuticals residue from hhman manure&quot;??