A state-of-the-art pesticide and toxic chemical control laboratory which was commissioned Friday at the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) Compound, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara is expected to boost agricultural trade and food production quality in Guyana.
The facility which will be managed by the Pesticide and Toxic Chemical Control Board was constructed and equipped at a total value of some $100M, with financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
This laboratory will enhance and improve the existing monitoring capabilities of the Pesticides Board and support the determination of pre-harvest intervals associated with the use of agrochemical products under local conditions.
Moreover, GINA reported, the facility will also guarantee Guyana’s status as a major exporter of fresh food to the region, and reposition the country internationally by providing safe food locally and for the growing overseas market.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud who commissioned the laboratory noted that it is currently equipped with the instruments and has the required human resources to perform routine monitoring of pesticides residue. And through regular analyses it can quantify the range of active ingredient residues and their metabolites in agricultural produce, soil, water, and animal tissue.
Persaud further said that apart from determining the degradation of pesticides and toxic chemicals in the environment and providing for the analysis of the concentration of active ingredients in formulated products, it will also serve as a training facility in pesticide science for students from local tertiary institutions as well as staff at agencies such as the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Meanwhile in the area of trade, Persaud noted that the new facility will further advance Guyana’s agricultural diversification thrust which is currently centered on the optimal production and exportation of fruits, vegetables, livestock and fisheries.
And speaking at the commissioning ceremony, IDB Representative, Javier Grau praised the government for this initiative, and noted that it was testimony of the administration’s commitment to ensuring that Guyanese have access to quality, wholesome foods for local consumption and export markets.
Meanwhile Registrar of the Pesticide and Toxic Chemical Control Board, Basdeo Dwarka said all stakeholders within the agricultural sector can benefit from the services offered by the pesticide and toxic chemical control laboratory, GINA concluded.
