Youth Union members and local adminsitrators collect package of pesticide in rice paddy and orchards
The Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dong Thap Province, and the CropLife Association jointly held a meeting to review the program ‘Instructing farmers to use pesticides safely and effectively in Dong Thap in 2021 – 2022.'
This is the first year of implementing a tripartite cooperation project in guiding farmers to use pesticides safely, effectively, and responsibly in Dong Thap Province from 2021 to 2026.
The project aims to support farmers to access and understand the principles of pesticide use and pest control to promote the effectiveness of pesticide products while maintaining a clean and green environment as well as protecting the health of the community; thereby, forming a safe and high-quality agricultural production area that meets the standards of consumption and export.
Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department Huynh Tan Dat said that the implementation of the program on the safe and effective use of pesticides in many localities is a significant task of the plant protection sector. The program helps to spread the current law to farmers.
Additionally, authorities at all levels join hands to increase people's awareness of the importance of using agricultural materials, including safe and effective pesticides.
According to the Plant Protection Department, the Mekong Delta contributes to more than 50 percent of agricultural output, over 90 percent of food exports, and about 70 percent of fruits in the country. Pesticides used in the Mekong Delta are 71.9 percent higher than the national average.
Amongst provinces, Tien Giang and Dong Thap are the provinces that use the most. The amount of pesticides in the two provinces is approximately three times higher than the national average, but the use of fertilizers and pesticides proved ineffective in the two provinces.
Notably, people have been exploiting the legal loophole to sell active ingredients of pesticides with the effect of preventing harmful organisms at agricultural supply stores that sell a farm, ranch, and agricultural supplies as registered preparations with health authorities in many localities causing misunderstanding and affecting people's health and food safety.
