Pesticide agents: Pesticide Board targets innovative ways to bring awareness

– as campaign launched on pesticides’ usage

The Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) is seeking to implement innovative ways to sensitise citizens about pesticides and other toxic chemicals and products.

Apart from rolling out its awareness campaign in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), a region that is known for its misuse and mismanagement of these harmful substances, the PTCCB Board is hoping that vendors would be a part of the public awareness campaign.
The PTCCB falls under the Agriculture Ministry, and as part of Agriculture Month activities, a series of vendor education programmes are being held countrywide.
The first was held with 28 vendors and some staff from Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
The second was held on Thursday at Tarlogie Village, Corentyne, for vendors who sell pesticides, and for their staff.

During the session, Registrar of the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board, Trecia David, stated that apart from providing information and training on the storage of pesticides, the Board is hoping to use those vendors to assist with dissemination of educational information.
She pointed out that one of the reasons for strengthening vendor education programmes beyond the owner or vendor is to ensure that every person who is working in a pesticide distribution site, where a farmer or any pesticide user would go to purchase a pesticide, has the relevant knowledge and the competence to be able to provide advice and guidance.
“For a long time, the (agri) industry is one of the areas that we have not engaged as much as we should in helping to promote safe use in the handling of pesticides, and sound chemical management practices,” David declared. She added that pesticide vendors also have a duty to promote sound chemical management practices.
“A pesticide vendor is likely to have far more dealing on a daily basis with a pesticide user that we at the Board would have. While we do training and awareness, we would do that periodically. So, for example, we are not going to be in Region Six every day, but every day or every week, that farmer may go to a pesticide vendor, and being able to be trained and having the knowledge you need, you can also support the Board by advising what product to use, what PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) you should wear, how you should store it…”
She explained that the issue of storage of toxic chemicals has always been a concern of the board. “When that consumer purchases that pesticide, the response becomes his or hers. What we are doing is strengthening the pesticide vendor to support that kind of information-sharing. So, they are not just selling a pesticide anymore, they now have the capability to provide advice and needed guidance. We want to be in a position to ensure that the vendors can give that advice.”
There are 204 licensed pesticide vendors countrywide. Pesticide vendors and their employees who fail to access the current education and certification exercise would have to undertake the Pesticide Vendors Education Programme for future licensing of their businesses. (Andrew Carmichael)