By Vincent Gunde
DOWA-(MaraviPost)-The Pesticides Control Board [PCB] has appealed to agriculture stakeholders in Dowa to help disseminating messages on the importance of using Pesticides Protective Clothing [PPE].
The PCB observed that people after buying the pesticides they just use for their own intended purpose without considering pesticides protecting clothing saying this is dangerous to human lives.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting on Pesticides Management held at the boma in Dowa, the organization’s Pesticides Inspector, Blessings Mulima, said PCB is an institution that is responsible for the control and management of the import, export, manufacture, distribution, storage, disposal and use of pesticides in Malawi.
Mulima said the PCB among other roles and responsibilities monitor inspection and enforcement of pesticide law, awareness on pesticide issues, certification of manufacturing plants and control saying there are conditions leading to damages of pesticides containers such as poor storage, poor transportation, carelessness in handling, among others.
He said pollution, disposal, poisoning, decanting, illegal vending and knowledge gap on risks affects the pesticides industry worldwide and in Malawi, poor disposal of empty containers are the older of the day at nobody’s care.
“Crooked pesticide agro- dealers are removing pesticides from original containers and packaging them into small bottles with own made un-approved labels as well as own labeling including altering of expiry dates”, said Mulima. .
The officer however discovered that some people are venturing into pesticide business without knowledge on laws and requirements, technical advisory skills and lack of knowledge on dangerous associated with pesticides resulting into letting breast-feeding mothers run agro-dealer shops.
He therefore cited a pesticide, Acetachlor 900 EC, a bottle showing manufacturing date of April, 2010 still in circulation on the market almost 8 years after expiry saying this is a clear indication that consumers are being cheated , supplied with products that have gone past their shelf-life.
Mulima said unregistered pesticides are often smuggled from neighboring Tanzania due to porous borders while label does not meet requirements saying pesticides registered for use in Malawi have two languages, English and Chichewa.
He urged stakeholders in the district to spread the message to others on the roles of PCB including provision of trainings for commercial applicators, pesticide users and Public Health personnel, as well as inviting them to provide trainings on pesticides related topics.
The officer appealed to stakeholders to inquire about certification on those hired for pesticide related tasks in their respective areas.