Farmers advised against trapping grasscutters with agro-chemicals

Adawso (E/R), March 31, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Annan of the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC), has advised farmers against the use of agro-chemicals in trapping grass cutters. He explained that such development ended up destroying the grass cutter population and many other animals in the bush.

Mr Annan, speaking at an agriculture input fair organized by IFDC in collaboration with the Akuapem North District Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) on Tuesday at Adawso, explained that the animals that fed on the substance killed the grass cutters also. The fair was to bring agro-chemicals, high quality seeds and other agricultural inputs to the door steps of farmers at affordable prices. He explained that apart from animals and birds that could be killed by chemicals used to trap grass cutters, human beings, who also consumed such meat were also at risk of dying from food poisoning. He debunked the argument that once the intestines of the grass cutters were thrown away, the meat was safe for human consumption. Mr Annan warned farmers, who are also using agro-chemicals in palm wine tapping instead of the traditional method of using fire, to desist from that practice so as not to put the large number of Ghanaians, who love to drink palm wine, in danger.

He said every year, IFDC in collaboration with other development partners organized training programmes for agro-input dealers to enable them to offer good advice on the use of agro-chemicals. Mr Annan, therefore, urged farmers to seek advice from either the Agriculture Extension Agents or the agro-chemical input dealers about the usage of agro-chemicals they buy from them. Mr Samuel Mensah of the Akuapem North Directorate of MOFA, advised farmers to repair their knap sacks and ensure that they did not have any leakages to avoid the agro-chemicals they spray on the crops from dripping over them while working.

He advised the farmers to avoid buying agro-chemicals that had been kept in the sun and the use of dirty water since they could have adverse effect on the quality of the agricultural chemicals. Mr Michael Kwabla also of the Akuapem North District Directorate of MOFA, urged vegetable farmers to get the Agricultural Extension Agents in their area to explain to them the proper use of agro-chemicals. He explained that some of the vegetables would be safe for human consumption only after the agro-chemicals had been sprayed for a specific period. 31 March 10