EPA trains farmers on safe handling of agro-chemicals
Mr Isaac Osei, Ashanti Regional Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has called for intensive farmer education on safe agro-chemicals handling to prevent accidents.
He said dealers in chemicals should not only be interested in making money, but must be keen in helping farmers to have better understanding of how to apply them.
This had become increasingly necessary because of the widespread use of pesticides, which he said, could result in chemical poisoning.
Mr Osei was opening a two-day pesticides control and management training workshop for 80 agro-chemical input dealers at Akyawkrom, in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of the region.
It formed part of the phase two of the EPA’s West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme and was meant to expose the participants to best practices.
Issues discussed included pesticide registration and licensing products, adulterated and counterfeit products, construction and management of pesticides retail outlets and warehouses.
They were also taken through pesticide transport and storage requirements, disposal of empty containers, pesticide poisoning-symptoms and signs, first aid treatment and emergency procedures.
Mr Joseph C. Edmund, Deputy Director in-charge of Pesticides Chemicals Control and Management, asked the participants to take the training seriously to enhance the safety of food crops.
Dr Bernard Kwasi Dwomoh, Regional Chairman of the Agro-Inputs Dealers Association, expressed the need for the training programme to be sustained.
Source: GNA