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Jamaica Observer
Posted: 3/4/2009 9:11:30 AM
Former Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke yesterday drew the wrath of his successor Christopher Tufton when he suggested that fertiliser recently sourced by the Government contained human faeces.
Speaking during a sitting of Parliament yesterday, Clarke said it was “the first time in Jamaica’s history that we have brought human faeces in fertiliser” into the country. He declared the product was suspect and demanded to be told whether the “human faeces had been properly treated” amidst shouts of discontent from members of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
“It is the first time inorganic fertiliser has come to the country that if you throw it out on the ground dog is going to eat it, the crows have come down, rats are eating it because nobody knows whether the human excreta was properly treated or not,” Clarke said.
Responding, Tufton stopped short of accusing Clarke of “trying to create fear in the minds of farmers” whom he said have been making “numerous requests for the product”. He said the fertiliser which has an organic base has also been tested by an independent overseas lab on the Ministry’s request and verified as being of ‘exceptional quality’ and safe.
He said analysis has also been done to gaurantee the safety of each batch of the product to detect Ecoli, Salmonella and Hepatitis among other viruses.
Tufton said the fertiliser was given a ‘clean bill of health’ by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The fertiliser was brought in some six months ago.
Posted: 3/4/2009 9:11:30 AM
Former Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke yesterday drew the wrath of his successor Christopher Tufton when he suggested that fertiliser recently sourced by the Government contained human faeces.
Speaking during a sitting of Parliament yesterday, Clarke said it was “the first time in Jamaica’s history that we have brought human faeces in fertiliser” into the country. He declared the product was suspect and demanded to be told whether the “human faeces had been properly treated” amidst shouts of discontent from members of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
“It is the first time inorganic fertiliser has come to the country that if you throw it out on the ground dog is going to eat it, the crows have come down, rats are eating it because nobody knows whether the human excreta was properly treated or not,” Clarke said.
Responding, Tufton stopped short of accusing Clarke of “trying to create fear in the minds of farmers” whom he said have been making “numerous requests for the product”. He said the fertiliser which has an organic base has also been tested by an independent overseas lab on the Ministry’s request and verified as being of ‘exceptional quality’ and safe.
He said analysis has also been done to gaurantee the safety of each batch of the product to detect Ecoli, Salmonella and Hepatitis among other viruses.
Tufton said the fertiliser was given a ‘clean bill of health’ by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The fertiliser was brought in some six months ago.
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