Farmers warned against misuse of agro-chemicals

Bawale (E/R), March 30, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Annan, of the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC), have observed that a major life threatening concern to the Ghanaian society is the misapplication of Agro-chemicals. He explained that, when agro-chemicals are misused on a crop and sent to the market, it is not only the farmer and the family that suffer, but also the whole population that goes to the market to buy the contaminated crop or bush meat.

Mr Annan said as people continued to consume contaminated food through the miss-application of agro-chemicals, their bodies gradually accumulate harmful substances, adding that, those development could be the results of many of the unexplained deaths in the society of late. He was speaking at an agricultural inputs fair organized by IFDC in collaboration with the Akuapem North District Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) at Bawale in the Eastern region on Tuesday. The fair was aimed at helping to get agricultural inputs to the door steps of farmers at affordable prices. Mr Annan called on farmers to consult their Agricultural Extension Officers on how to properly apply agro-chemicals on their farms and also take their advice serious.

Ms Lydia Akuetteh, of the Akuapem North District Directorate of MOFA, said every chemical could be poisonous depending on how it was used and therefore advised farmers to properly protect themselves before using agro-chemicals on their farms. She warned farmers that they could absorb some of the chemicals that come into contact with their skin through the pores of their body.

Mr Michael Kwabla, of MOFA, advised farmers to always buy their agro-chemicals from sources they could identify so that in case of any adverse effects they could be advised on what to do.