CHOOSE SAFETY FIRST
BY P. A WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL August 17, 2010
A Deputy Director with the Chemical Control and Management Centre [CCMC] at the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], Mr. Joseph C. Edmund has advised farmers to always consider their health and safety first when buying agrochemicals for use on their farms. This, he said should supersede price considerations.
The Deputy EPA Director gave the advice at a two day workshop held in Bolgatanga to equip agrochemical sellers and agric extension officers in the Upper East region with technical training on handling and application of agrochemicals. The EPA and the Ghana Environmental Management Project jointly organised the workshop.
The workshop sought among other things to teach participants best practices in buying, transportation and application of agrochemicals such as pesticides. It also educated participants on steps to take in detecting fake agrochemicals that are often sold on the market to unsuspecting farmers.
Mr. Edmund who was the lead facilitator of the workshop observed that a lot of farmers often contaminate themselves with farm chemicals as a result of misinformation or lack of appropriate training and handling of these chemicals. He said for instance, the World Health Organisation estimates that three million people suffer from acute pesticide poisoning annually.
According to him, it is imperative for both dealers and farmers to carefully read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions and the composition of agrochemicals before using them. He said for example, every chemical has an active ingredient called gylaphosate which does the actual killing of pests when applied properly.
Mr. Edmund noted that hazards are more likely at the stage of mixing and loading chemicals adding that the mouth, lungs, eyes and the skin are the main routes of exposure while the skin is the commonest route via which farmers get contaminated with agrochemicals.
He thus urged farmers to select pesticides and other chemicals which have low toxicity while they should reduce exposure when using chemicals with high toxic levels. Meanwhile, agrochemical dealers are also advised to educate farmers on the proper use of chemicals at the point of sale.
The facilitator also advised caretakers of agrochemical shops to desist from eating close to where the chemicals are stored. They should also avoid entering their shops immediately whenever they open them. Rather, fresh air should blow into the shop for a considerable time before any entry is made.
The EPA Act 1994, Act 490 provides for the control, management and regulation of pesticides in Ghana and this Act mandates the Environmental Protection Agency as the main implementing body.
The Upper East regional officer in charge of plant protection and regulatory services at MOFA, Mr. Sylvester Logo during open discussions told participants especially farmers that, there are no short cuts in the mixture and application of pesticides and other chemicals. He said the practice where farmers often mix two or more different chemicals together for one time application is simply a waste of resources and dangerous because each chemical is manufactured to be used at certain stipulated times in the life of a crop.
Mr. Logo said it is also wrong for farmers to walk through areas that they have already sprayed. The best practice when spraying pesticides however, is to spray along the direction of wind blow and also walk beside the sprayed area and not in it.
Aside several contributions which the participants made, they also undertook a number of practical group exercises including identification of peculiar agrochemicals and matching of warning statements to their respective symbols.
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL August 17, 2010
A Deputy Director with the Chemical Control and Management Centre [CCMC] at the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], Mr. Joseph C. Edmund has advised farmers to always consider their health and safety first when buying agrochemicals for use on their farms. This, he said should supersede price considerations.
The Deputy EPA Director gave the advice at a two day workshop held in Bolgatanga to equip agrochemical sellers and agric extension officers in the Upper East region with technical training on handling and application of agrochemicals. The EPA and the Ghana Environmental Management Project jointly organised the workshop.
The workshop sought among other things to teach participants best practices in buying, transportation and application of agrochemicals such as pesticides. It also educated participants on steps to take in detecting fake agrochemicals that are often sold on the market to unsuspecting farmers.
Mr. Edmund who was the lead facilitator of the workshop observed that a lot of farmers often contaminate themselves with farm chemicals as a result of misinformation or lack of appropriate training and handling of these chemicals. He said for instance, the World Health Organisation estimates that three million people suffer from acute pesticide poisoning annually.
According to him, it is imperative for both dealers and farmers to carefully read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions and the composition of agrochemicals before using them. He said for example, every chemical has an active ingredient called gylaphosate which does the actual killing of pests when applied properly.
Mr. Edmund noted that hazards are more likely at the stage of mixing and loading chemicals adding that the mouth, lungs, eyes and the skin are the main routes of exposure while the skin is the commonest route via which farmers get contaminated with agrochemicals.
He thus urged farmers to select pesticides and other chemicals which have low toxicity while they should reduce exposure when using chemicals with high toxic levels. Meanwhile, agrochemical dealers are also advised to educate farmers on the proper use of chemicals at the point of sale.
The facilitator also advised caretakers of agrochemical shops to desist from eating close to where the chemicals are stored. They should also avoid entering their shops immediately whenever they open them. Rather, fresh air should blow into the shop for a considerable time before any entry is made.
The EPA Act 1994, Act 490 provides for the control, management and regulation of pesticides in Ghana and this Act mandates the Environmental Protection Agency as the main implementing body.
The Upper East regional officer in charge of plant protection and regulatory services at MOFA, Mr. Sylvester Logo during open discussions told participants especially farmers that, there are no short cuts in the mixture and application of pesticides and other chemicals. He said the practice where farmers often mix two or more different chemicals together for one time application is simply a waste of resources and dangerous because each chemical is manufactured to be used at certain stipulated times in the life of a crop.
Mr. Logo said it is also wrong for farmers to walk through areas that they have already sprayed. The best practice when spraying pesticides however, is to spray along the direction of wind blow and also walk beside the sprayed area and not in it.
Aside several contributions which the participants made, they also undertook a number of practical group exercises including identification of peculiar agrochemicals and matching of warning statements to their respective symbols.
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