The Plant Protection Department, Đồng Tháp Province’s Agriculture Department and CropLife Việt Nam have signed a cooperation agreement to support Đồng Tháp farmers to use pesticides safely. — Photo courtesy of CropLife Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI — Farmers in the southern province of Đồng Tháp will be trained and supported to use plant protection products safely and effectively under a 5-year cooperation programme between agriculture authorities and CropLife Việt Nam.

Under the cooperation programme, the Plant Protection Department, Đồng Tháp Province’s Agriculture Department and Croplife Việt Nam signed on Wednesday, farmers and officers in Đồng Tháp Province will be instructed to use pesticides properly, as well as collect and treat pesticide containers.

It is expected that all pesticide containers in the province will be collected and treated as regulated.

Farmers will also receive support to further protect the environment in farming areas, produce safe and high-quality products and meet criteria to get planting area codes.

Speaking at the online signing ceremony, Head of the Plant Protection Department Hoàng Trung said that the cooperation programme showed the efforts of all parties in supporting farmers, which helped develop responsible agriculture in Việt Nam.

The proper collection and treatment of pesticide containers would help protect the environment and farmers’ health, he said.

“We hope that the programme will be implemented effectively and expanded in other provinces in the Mekong Delta region,” Trung said.

Nguyễn Phước Thiện, director of Đồng Tháp Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that using pesticides responsibly and collecting pesticide containers properly played an important role in developing new rural models and sustainable agricultural production.

Trần Thanh Vũ, co-chairman of CropLife Việt Nam, said that that the association and its member companies considered the support on pesticide use for farmers a key activity together with introducing advanced products to farmers.

CropLife Việt Nam is a member association of CropLife Asia - a non-profit society and the regional organisation of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. 

Over the years, the Plant Protection Department and the CropLife Association have coordinated to implement a programme to guide the use of pesticides and develop planting area codes for mango and longan trees for export in Sơn La Province.

They also offered training classes on integrated pest management on rice in the Mekong Delta and launched a week of "Guidelines for the safe and effective use of pesticides" in seven provinces in the region.

The activities showed positive results in raising people's awareness and habit of using pesticides, improving management capacity as well as helping local agricultural produce meet the requirements of demanding import markets. — VNS