Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud yesterday called on regional pesticide officials to craft a plan that will take insect repellent management to the next level in CARICOM states, taking into consideration the complexity of its use and administration.

He threw out the challenge at the 14th meeting of the Coordinating Group of Pesticides Control Board of the Caribbean held at the Princess Buddy’s International Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

“This must be a realistic plan which you, the developers, will feel satisfied with and lead to the attainment of short, medium and long term objectives.

‘Importantly, these objectives must be clear and definitive with the relevant benchmarks that will be adopted by the agriculture sector in our respective countries,” Persaud said.

He also urged the officials to focus on obsolete and expired pesticides and the utilisation of management practices to prevent any recurrence.

The issue of residual limits, Persaud said, cannot be avoided and farmers must understand how they can achieve the best out of pesticides application without adversely affecting people’s health.

He said all must be aware of what the region needs to do to improve this situation and to meet standards requirements for regional and international trade.

“For food exporting countries such as Guyana, the requirements must be such that our products can enter the different markets in the region. We must do away with every territory putting in place its own set of requirements, thus serving as a barrier to trade of regionally produced agricultural commodities and food,” the minister advocated.  

Here in Guyana, he pointed out, the necessary infrastructure has been put in place for the management of pesticides and toxic chemicals, not because this country is a net exporter of food, but also for the safety of its people and environment.

Persaud stated too that Guyana is compliant with the Rotterdam Convention, the Montreal Protocol, the Stockholm Convention, and the strategic approach for international chemical management.

“In our quest to further improve our management system, we intend to use the outcome of this meeting as a working document to maintain effective and modern management practices in pesticides,” he said.

Excessive and improper use of pesticides will have a negative impact on human, animal, and plant health, and on the environment.

In addition, improper use sends up production cost, endangers export of agriculture products and negatively affects trade.