Have you ever wondered about the best practices for handling pesticides on your farm or how proper training can significantly impact the quality and value of your produce?
In our latest Farmer’s Inside Track episode, Food For Mzansi interviews McGreggor Ntuli, technical support specialist at AECI Plant Health, to uncover the secrets of pesticide stewardship and its profound effects on farming.
According to Ntuli, “We’ve been advocating for the safe use, handling, and storage of pesticides among everyone involved in the whole pesticide industry throughout the value chain.”
He sheds light on their comprehensive training programme, noting, “These on-farm trainings are not just for farmers but for anyone in the pesticide value chain, including farmworkers, technical persons, crop advisors, distributors, and manufacturers.”
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Ntuli also reveals common mistakes in pesticide handling. One major issue, he says, is that end users often do not understand that the pesticide industry is regulated. “They might liken purchasing pesticides to buying a cell phone pouch, without realising the regulatory implications.”
He also highlights the critical role of education in preventing these mistakes. According to Ntuli, familiarising yourself with regulations and always reading product labels are crucial steps for farmers. “Strengthening this knowledge through training programs and information sharing can significantly reduce errors.”
Looking ahead, Ntuli shares AECI Plant Health’s future plans. “We plan to roll out impact assessment analyses to evaluate the real impact of our trainings on farms, measuring the reduction in incidents before and after training.”
In this episode, she also discusses:
- Understanding regulations;
- Enhancing produce quality;
- And impact assessment analysis.
Want to know more? Dive deeper into the episode and gain insights from the award-winning Farmer’s Inside Track, officially recognised as Africa and the world’s best podcast at the 2024 Digital Media Awards presented by WAN-IFRA, the global press organisation.
Option 1: Click here to listen on Spotify (all mobile and other devices).
Option 2: Click here to listen on any Apple device.
Option 3: Click here to listen on Google Podcast.
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