I was particularly pleased at the response of the Pesticides Board to Mr. L.H. Semple’s letter alleging that the Board is not equipped to tackle backtrack chemicals. As a farmer I am pleased at the response of the Pesticide Board as I have benefitted from training on two occasions resulting in the safe use and application of pesticides.
Mr. Semple needs to come out in the fields and interact with farmers to get an accurate understanding of the constant interaction the Pesticide Board and the Ministry of Agriculture has with farmers. I would like to report on one occasion
information was passed on to enforcement officers of the Pesticide Board during one training exercise resulting in the seizure of a quantity of chemicals that were illegal. This is the kind of relationship farmers have with the Board and the Ministry of Agriculture. While I must admit that more needs to be done, we all have a moral responsibility to ensure the safety of farmers and consumers of agricultural produce to report all suspected importation and sale of illegal pesticides.
It is evident in Mr. Semple’s letter that he is not aware of the consequences and domino effect when he stated that the requirements of the regulations are “unnecessary”. I strongly believe it is so by design to ensure the safety of those applying pesticides and also the consumers of those foods. I do believe that Mr. Semple should have an interaction with the Pesticide Board to clear his misconceptions and doubts of the management and use of pesticides in Guyana.
Finally, I would once again like to commend the Pesticides Board and its collaborating agencies from the Ministry of Agriculture for their extension training exercises which have greatly improved my knowledge and that of numerous other farmers on safe use of pesticides and other general agricultural practices. Farmers are listening as simple techniques and improved methods can save farmers valuable dollars.