Avoid overuse of pesticides

The interdisciplinary inspection team inspected the trading of plant protection drugs in Dien Bien district. Photo: Quoc Huy

Pesticides are one of the indispensable materials in agricultural production, contributing to protecting crops, preventing pests, thereby improving productivity and product quality. However, people's spraying of pesticides is mainly based on experience, many people arbitrarily increase the concentration of pesticides many times higher than recommended with the desire to quickly kill pests. Of which, a large number, especially people in remote areas, have not yet identified the pests, leading to non-compliance with the use of pesticides and not using the right type of pesticides.

According to Mr. Mua Chong Lanh, Sinh Phinh commune (Tua Chua district), his family and other households in the commune, whenever they discover pests on their crops, they often go to agents and stores to buy pesticides to spray to prevent pests. Although before each crop, agricultural extension officers instruct people to identify pests and pesticides, they cannot remember all the names of the pesticides. Therefore, when crops are affected by pests, people buy pesticides based on their previous production experience or ask for advice from sales agents.

In recent years, the agricultural sector has implemented solutions to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of pesticide abuse. However, many people are still subjective, underestimate the harmful effects of pesticides on human health, and often abuse them in agricultural production. According to statistics from the provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the amount of pesticides supplied and used on winter-spring rice crops 2021 - 2022 and the 2022 summer-autumn crop in the province alone is about 120.4 tons. Of which, herbicides account for 69 tons (accounting for 57.3%) of pesticides; pesticides account for about 15 tons; fungicides account for 15 tons; snail killers account for 21 tons and other drugs account for 0.4 tons.

In recent years, the Department of Agriculture and local authorities have organized many conferences and seminars on pesticides and provided professional training on how to use them properly for thousands of people. At the same time, a model has been implemented to enhance the capacity of commune-level authorities in State management of pesticides. Propagating and disseminating legal regulations on pesticides through specialized inspections, checking and evaluating the conditions for trading pesticides for 785 organizations and individuals trading pesticides and fertilizers. People are advised to use pesticides according to the "4 rights" principle (right drug, right time, right concentration, right dosage and right way). At the same time, inspection teams have been organized to punish establishments that violate the trading of pesticides. From 2022 to present, the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection has inspected compliance with regulations on pesticide trading in a number of localities (inspecting 77 individuals), and discovered 7 individuals with administrative violations in pesticide trading. The authorities have applied remedial measures, forced recalls, returned to manufacturers or distributors, and forced the destruction of pesticides not on the list of pesticides permitted for use in Vietnam. In addition, a number of districts and communes have inspected compliance with pesticide trading in 141 establishments, and discovered 4 establishments violating regulations on pesticide trading.

To limit the abuse of pesticides, the long-term solution is to raise awareness, understanding and change farmers' habits; promote agricultural extension programs, produce safe crops according to VietGAP processes, and replicate agricultural production models in the direction of biosafety. Strictly control the business, trade, production and use of pesticides. Promote training for grassroots technical staff, pesticide dealers and farmers; improve State management for commune-level authorities. In addition, there should be policies to encourage and support the use of biological pesticides, herbal pesticides and new-generation pesticides in agricultural production.

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