Attached
Contamination of milk with pesticide
residues is a matter of serious concern. The extensive
use of pesticides may lead to environmental and food
contamination also risk of contamination was occurred
especially in up country because of scarcity of grazing
lands. Abundance of crop residues in substantial
amounts lead farmers to feed them adequately for
cattle. Farmers who cultivate upcountry vegetables tend
to apply higher amounts of pesticides due to the
intensive cultivation of hybrid crop varieties and highly
favorable weather conditions for the rapid spread of
pests and diseases. The objectives of this study were to
identify the types of pesticides used in the area, crop
residues that are used as feed material and sources of
contaminants which have an impact to the milk
industry in Walapane. Primary data for the study were
collected from thirty farmers randomly (n=30)
representing three villages of Walapane DS division
namely Ragala, Nildandahinna and Wewekelle. Major
vegetables in the area were cabbage, tomato, beans,
eggplant and carrot. Majority (64%) of milk farmers
had Jersey crosses, while 36% had Friesian crosses.
Most (53%) farmers carry out extensive rearing in
roadsides and vegetable lands and intensive rearing of
47%. Farmers (84%) provide grasses and crop residues
(16%) to cattle. Fresh grasses and crop residues were
directly fed to cattle without any treatments. Farmers
used well water (93%) and natural water stream (7%)
as water sources. The majority (>90%) disposed the
empty pesticide containers by throwing in the crop land
and water sources itself. Farmers applied Mancozeb
(47%), Propineb (37%), Fipronil (10%) and Maneb
(6%) as pesticides for cultivation of vegetables nearby
water sources while fungicides (Propineb 36% and
Mancozeb 20%) applied nearby farm lands. Feeding
with crop residues, grasses and water which were
contaminated with pesticides encountered high risk to
contain pesticide residues in milk in Walapane DS
Division Sri Lanka
