The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Alhagie Babou Jallowin
30 November 2009
North Bank Region — Africa Emergency and Locust Programme (AELP) recently organised a two-day training workshop for women in North Bank Region, on the effective pesticides management.
The training was to strengthen farmersÂ' knowledge on the effective management of pesticides and the effects on crops, human lives and the environment. Speaking at the occasion, Alh. Eduwarr Seckan, the governor of North Bank Region, hailed AELP for contributing immensely to the enhancement of crop protection and by extension boost food security at the grassroots level. He noted that the project intervention would contribute to poverty reduction and improve the livelihood of farmers.
He urged the farmers to always adhere to advice from the extension workers so as to protect the health of the consumers and the public at large. The NBR governor thanked the president for his invaluable support to the agricultural sector and in ensuring that field crops are protected from influx of locust and other plant disease, for maximum production. For her part, Yassin Khan, of Africa Emergency and Locust Programme, underscored the importance her department attaches to the protection of crops, vegetables and in the enhancement of the income capacity of farmers. According to her, the objective of the training was to equip farmers with requisite skills and knowledge on the effective utilization and safety standard of using chemicals in protecting crops and vegetables.
She reminded that in the past 4 Â- 5 years, The Gambia witnessed influx of millions of locust but that with the timely intervention of government an aggressive campaign was undertaken to fight against locust invasion. She urged beneficiary farmers to help in the dissemination of lesson learned to their colleagues. Saikou Jammeh, of Plant Protection Services, expressed concern over on how the women farmers use chemicals on their gardens, noting that using it wrongly is harmful. Â"Farmers should desist from spraying on produce ready for harvest as it may contribute to poor health status and also lack of market outlets for their produce,Â" he expressed.
Also speaking at the occasion was Sarjo Darboe, of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, who stressed the serious health implication against wrongful use of chemicals. The poor usage of chemicals, she said, can cause health implications like diarrhoea and infertility on both sexes. Â"Therefore it is important for end users to always ensure the safe-keeping of chemicals so that children would not have access to chemicals,Â" she said. Sick persons and pregnant women, she added, are not allowed to use these chemicals as they could have serious health implications.
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