Puerto Rico's Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Flores, has opposed a House of Representatives bill that would ban the use of the Roundup herbicide brand for state ownership.

“I admit there is some concern about overuse of this product. Despite the fact that anxiety is justified, we must understand that if glyphosate is used in accordance with the recommendation indicated on the label, this should not adversely affect the health of people and animals, ”the Minister said in his speech to the House of Representatives.

He claimed that the herbicide has the lowest toxicological risk category (class 4) provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), despite the fact that the same organization identified the herbicide as a potential carcinogen for humans.

Carlos Flores insisted that the product has a very low toxicity and that it has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He said banning this product would prove fatal for Puerto Rico farmers who use it to control weeds.

The official insisted that it was unlikely that farmers would use more than recommended, "because it is an expensive herbicide and farmers will lose money."

Flores recommended that the Legislative Commission reorient its bill to focus on teaching the proper use of glyphosate and other pesticides, rather than banning their use.

According to him, this will strengthen compliance with the recommendations on the label and prevent the misuse of the product. At the hearing, the University of Puerto Rico Agricultural Experimental Station agreed with the Department of Agriculture.