An FAO Environmental Consultant Underscores The Importance Of Pesticides Inspection Training Workshop

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Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FA0) Environmental Consultant, Dr. Thérèse Yarde is the Facilitator of a very interactive two-day Pesticides Inspectors` Manual Training Workshop which opened at the Fisheries Division’s Conference Room at Point Wharf earlier today (Thur).

The participants, who are drawn from the national pesticides regulating authority and collaborating agencies, are being introduced to a Manual which demonstrates standard operating procedures and best practices for monitoring, regulating and the management of pesticides, including reporting and documenting non-compliance, with an emphasis on compliance with relevant laws, standards and guidelines.

Dr. Yarde emphasized the importance of the forum which is part of a regional approach to the better management of pesticides.
“This is very important for the region; pesticides are used strongly across the region both by trained professionals and also by ordinary farmers and ordinary people in their homes,” stated Dr. Yarde.
The manual will build the capacity of people who go out in the field to inspect pesticides, control pesticides and enforce pesticides laws so that there can be drastic improvement in the usage and disposal of pesticides.
Dr. Yarde also made mention of the groups which the manual and the workshop are targeting.
“Opportunities for communication with other stakeholders, communication with the public, with Non-Governmental Organizations and pesticide users. Therefore, that knowledge that the inspectors have, they can then pass on to the public so the public is also more informed and able to use pesticides in a way that is safer,” stated Dr. Yarde.

Acting Director of Agriculture Mr. Gregory Bailey said that the manual will provide a harmonized approach to pesticides management which is crucial if proper results are to be achieved.
“The training has to do with exposing the Antiguan public in particular, persons who are involved in pesticides, inspections and persons who are designated pesticide inspectors to a regional manual which is seeking to harmonize the protocols and approaches to pesticide inspection throughout the region,” stated Mr. Bailey.
Mr. Bailey detailed specific beneficiaries of this meeting as pesticide inspectors who report to the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board and health inspectors from the Central Board of Health (CBH), who from time to time, find themselves, dealing with pesticides.

The acting director of agriculture said that extension officers who will have to inspect and regulate pesticides for agricultural use and the private sector who sells pesticides, are also targeted
Mr. Bailey also stated that the management of pesticides is important in the improvement of food nutrition and food security in Antigua and Barbuda.
“From a food safety point of view, the management of pesticides is critical and the use of pesticides is very important,” stated Mr. Bailey.
FAO’s National Correspondent, Ms. Anika Aska brought greetings on behalf of the Sub-regional Coordinator of FAO in the Caribbean, Dr. Renata Clarke.

Aska, in sharing some background information, explained that the FAO and the Coordinating Groups of Pesticides Control Boards in the Caribbean are together implementing a regional management project entitled “Disposing of Obsolete Pesticides including POPS, promotion of alternatives and strengthening pesticides management in the Caribbean.”

The project has six components and the regional pesticides inspectors` manual workshop is one activity which is being held under component four, which deals with the “Strengthening of the Regulatory Framework and Institutional Capacity for Sound Management of Pesticides.”

The workshop ends tomorrow.

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1 COMMENT

  1. You won’t be able to control the Chinese with their technology(s), to include Genetically modified organisms and AI-Artificial Intelligence.

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