Farmers have been rapped in southern China after they were caught using
household rubbish to fertilise crops. Farms pay just £20 per truckload
for waste from the local tip, which often includes old batteries, plastics and
discarded oil and chemicals, say health watchdogs in Jinshan, in Guangdong
province.
"There will be lots of good compost like food waste, but there
are also batteries leaking poisons like mercury, babies nappies, human waste and
even human parts from the local hospital sometimes," claimed one
campaigner. "These things are unhygienic and in some cases even lethal -
and they are leaking into our food," they added.
Farmer Lu Hin who owns
a field where the garbage fertiliser was used said: "We use it to grow
vegetables, fruits and flowers - and they grow well so it can't be
bad. We also mix the garbage with common fertilizer, and we sell them
at the village market but we also eat them ourselves too and it all tastes
great.
"We save money and help people dispose of garbage, so I don't see
what the problem is." Local health officials have pledged to investigate
the scandal. "We will test the soil and the crops," said one.
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