The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare has started an investigation in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to identify the reasons for the increase in cancer in Baa Goidhoo.

At a press conference yesterday (March 3), Agriculture Minister Mariyam Mariya said the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) was working with the ministry to conduct tests and research.

The concern was raised in a letter addressed to Mariya and Health Minister Abdulla Nazim in December last year. A resident of Goidhoo said in the letter that there were nine cancer cases and three deaths in about two years.

She added that 95 percent of the extensive agricultural land in Goidhoo has been left in the hands of foreigners, and the vegetables and fruits grown in these fields are contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals.

She also noted that Goidhoo has a high proportion of tobacco users and smokers. She complained about the lack of a policy and enforcement, despite introducing a law on pesticide use.