Starting with 2017, farmers will need to be licensed to purchase pesticides and fines for illegal trade of these substances will increase. The announcement was made by the management of the National Agency for Food Safety, in the context of the risk posed to health pesticides. Official data shows that pesticides are used heavily by those who want to commit suicide.

Thus, 97-per-cent of those who arrive at the hospital poisoned by pesticides, are those who want to commit suicide. 

Specialists from ANSA argue that pesticide poisoning occurs because they are illegally bought and kept incorrectly. Thus, the measures to fight this phenomenon will be introduced in 2017.

"People who do not hold a license or a permit for a professional use, will not be able to buy products of high toxicity. It is not normal that minors can buy pesticides at a agricultural shop" , said the head of ANSA, Mihai Negrescu.

Moreover, experts say that the pesticides sold in unauthorized places are mostly fake and are of no use. In this context, farmers are urged to consider all the packaged chemicals they are buying.

"All the information required for safe use is here. This is a simple method to detect a fake product: no bright colors, no protection code, black package" , said the head of ANSA, Mihai Negrescu.

Fines for illegal trading of pesticides will increase from 50 to 250 conventional units in 2017.