Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud yesterday commissioned the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board’s administrative building and supporting equipment at NAREI (National Agricultural and Research Extension Insti-tute) Compound.
The facilities are expected to improve efforts to strengthen management of pesticides and toxic chemicals and ensure food safety.
A statement from the Ministry of Agriculture said that the Board has introduced newer technology to aid in educating farmers and the general public and one area of focus is the use of the tracer kit technology in its awareness programmes this year in addressing pesticides contamination and residues.
Moreover, a fully equipped and functional pesticides laboratory is in operation, following an investment of some $200M, and Guyana will be able to ensure and monitor food safety standards.
The laboratory will allow for analysis or testing of agricultural produce to identify chemical residues and levels. The lab can identify chemical residues and the levels present in finished produce so that the country can guarantee food quality and safety for local consumption as well as in exports.
According to the statement, farmers and food producers will have to ensure that they adhere to label standards and use the recommended dose rates.
If foods have high residues these will have to be discarded and farmers can be blacklisted from the food production chain, the statement emphasized.
Importantly, the lab will be able to monitor farmers’ produce and determine if they have breached label guidelines and overused products.
And chemical importers will also benefit tremendously as all imported products will now be screened by the lab.
“These will be tested to evaluate the contents of these products sold and used by farmers, ensuring that banned and highly toxic materials are not present,” the statement noted.
Chemical residues in the environment, such as residues in waterways and soils, can also be analyzed to identify the environmental impacts of these products so complaints in such cases can be dealt with scientifically, the statement added.
