Pictures of a Thai farmer using bathroom cleaner as a fertilizer in his rice fields have sent netizens into meltdown.
Scientist, Parkpoom Dethhussadin, known as Mor Lap Panda, posted a screenshot of a Facebook post from an unidentified farmer spraying his crops with bathroom cleaner.
The unidentified farmer captioned the post with, “It’s effective and cost-saving. I tried it with one plot, and it made a change.”
As a consequence, social media in Thailand erupted with netizens fearing for their lives.
Most Thai netizens said they were now too scared to eat rice and would probably quit. Others commented that using bathroom cleaners would cause cancer among Thai people while another Facebook user alerted the social media community that it was normal among Thai fishermen, who also sprayed an insecticide over sun-dried seafood.
A Facebook page named ควายดำทำนา, which means Black Buffalo Farmer, revealed that Thai farmers have been using bathroom cleaners on rice for a long time. It added that the objective is to get rid of bacteria and diseases that come from moisture.
The page also made it known that one farmer accidentally stumbled across the method when he read the label and found a chemical substance in the bathroom cleaner that could help them. He tried it, it worked and the news then quickly spread into the farming community.
The Facebook page said the cleaner includes hydrochloric acid which helps clear the black mold, rust stains, bacteria, and germs. The page also noted that farmers use various types of fertilizers and chemical substances and not just bathroom cleaner.
The page said it understands people’s fears but added the chemical ingredients in bathroom cleaners were biodegradable. Farmers dilute the cleaner with water, so it isn’t intense.
The Black Buffalo Farmer page reported that farmers are using cleaning fluid because of rising costs but hoped farmers would quit using it.
SOURCE: Dailynews | ควายดำทำนา | หมอแล็บแพนด้า