The Ministry of Agriculture recently held its Pesticide Vendors Education and Certification Programme to satisfy the needs of the industry and to ensure sound management of chemicals.
The Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) programme, implemented in 2015, ensures all new pesticide vendors are trained and certified before beginning operations here. A release from the Ministry of Agriculture said that employees at pesticide vending sites are also required to be trained and certified.
The release said that the initiative ensures that all staff working in these establishment possess the requisite knowledge for safe use, handling, transport, storage and disposal of pesticides. Pesticide vendors also provide guidance to pesticide users, mainly farmers on products, use, dose rates, application practices and storage.
Twenty-eight participants from pesticides vendors in Regions 4 and 10 were trained and certified in the first session conducted on Tuesday 11th October, 2022. These sessions are expected to continue during the month, targeting all pesticide vendors countrywide. There are 204 licensed pesticide vendors countrywide, the release said.
