February 8, 2017: “The proper and judicious use of pesticides can result in greater food production without compromising the sustainability of the agricultural system and human health”; advice of Senator Avinash Singh, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, in his Address on Tuesday 7th February, 2017 at an FAO-hosted Workshop titled 'Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides (including POPs), Promotion of Alternatives and Strengthening Pesticides Management in the Caribbean', at the Cara Suites Hotel and Conference Centre in Claxton Bay. He praised the timing of the Workshop, citing that there was a need to use safer, less toxic pesticides in farming and an ever increasing responsibility to assure the consuming public that fruits and vegetables grown using pesticides were safe to eat.
Senator Singh said "As a practicing farmer, I know personally that Integrated Pest Management programmes demonstrate that pesticide use can be reduced considerably without affecting yields or farmer profits. What is key is preventing the spread of pests since as this saves crops and reduces the need to use pesticides."
Referencing the findings of Auburn University's Associate Professor, Asheber Abebe, who revealed that "pesticide safety" and "disposal" remained a major problem in the Caribbean, Senator Singh alluded to the Government's recognition of its role "in intervening in the use and disposal of pesticides to protect human health and to ensure environmental protection, mitigating against the possible negative impact on biodiversity." To this end, he announced that in April, the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries will partner with farmers and farmers’ association throughout the country to engage in the promotion of proper disposal of pesticides, and discarded and used pesticide containers as part of the National Clean-Up Campaign, launched in January of this year.
Also speaking at the event were Dr. Lystra Fletcher-Paul, FAO Sub-Regional Co-ordinator for the Caribbean and Representative for Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname; Dr. Ulrich Thiessen, representative for the Ambassador of the Delegation of the EU in Trinidad and Tobago; and Dr. Keven Antoine, Principal Medical Officer (Environmental Health) in the Ministry of Health.
The Workshop comprised representatives from the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Inspectorate; Chemistry Food and Drug Division; Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management; Institute of Marine Affairs; Environmental Management Authority; University of the West Indies; University of Trinidad and Tobago; and key Agriculture stakeholder organisations.
Dr. Ulrich Thiessen, representative for the Ambassador of the Delegation of the EU in Trinidad and Tobago (left) chats with Dr. Keven Antoine, Principal Medical Officer (Environmental Health) in the Ministry of Health at the Workshop.
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The Communications and Events Unit
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