Farmers’ pesticides usage raises food safety concerns

A farmer in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, Eko Aboje, had few days ago applied pesticides on his large farm cultivated about a month ago.  Aboje does not know the exact recommended quantity for his farm which he described as large as a football field but uses his discretion to apply as much as […]

A farmer in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, Eko Aboje, had few days ago applied pesticides on his large farm cultivated about a month ago. 

Aboje does not know the exact recommended quantity for his farm which he described as large as a football field but uses his discretion to apply as much as he thinks would be enough for the farm.

Worst still, he sprays the farm by himself without any form of protective garment as required by experts because every other farmer around his environment does the same thing.

He said his produce after harvest are usually stored with chemicals considered appropriate for the contents not mainly as recommended by experts but as practiced by those not adequately knowledgeable about the right use of such chemicals. 

“I spray it (farm) by myself. I don’t wear protective garment. I cultivated the farm and planted crops in April and May. And I’m going to spray it twice again before harvest.

“I’m not following experts’ advice because I don’t have access to any of them. I practice what other farmers in my environment do,” Aboje said.

Like Aboje, most farmers feed their fields with pesticides considered inappropriate by experts and furthermore garnish their harvested produce with chemicals that impact negatively on health of people who consume such food products after buying them from the markets.

A recent study according to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) identified majority of farmers like Aboje and agricultural product processors in the country as not knowledgeable in the safe use of pesticides, thereby endangering the health and lives of millions of Nigerians.

To this end, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Dr. Ezra Yakusak, has expressed worry over the lives of many Nigerians exposed to danger following the wrong use of pesticides by the majority of farmers and agricultural product processors in the country.

Yakusak made the disclosure at a two-day Pesticides Management Programme for Training of Spray Service Providers (SSP) at the College of Agriculture in Yandev, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.

He said the development had largely contributed to the rejection/ban of farm produce exported from the country.

“Recent studies indicate that over 70 per cent of small-holder farmers and commercial farms in Nigeria use pesticides as control measures to prevent insects and pest attack on their crops. 

“A greater percentage of this is applied at post-harvest level during storage in warehouses prior to export. More so, the farmers and processors have no formal training or guidance on the safe use and appropriate application of pesticides,” he said.

Represented by the Trade Advisor/Head, NEPC, Makurdi Export Office, Ben Anani, the Executive Director added that, “Inadequate application technique has market implications apart from direct contamination of soil and risk to the ecosystem; pesticides residues above recommended permissible levels not only endanger human health and lead to concerns about food safety but also seriously affect export market of agricultural products.”

He noted that the program implemented by NEPC in collaboration with the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) seeks to build the capacity of small-holder farmers on safe usage and appropriate application of pesticides, stressing that the program is a component of the NEPC SSP project in risk management measures that seeks to achieve mitigation in addressing Nigerian Agricultural produce export rejects at border control points due to contaminants.

He added, “the continued ban and rejection of Nigerian agricultural produce from the European Union (EU) and other export market destinations is of grave concern to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council NEPC. 

“Our agricultural products meant for export markets are facing challenges of rejections at the border control points due to the presence of contaminants such as pesticides residues, mostly dichlorvos and other impurities exceeding maximum permissible residual limit.”

The NEPC boss further explained that in Nigeria, like in many developing countries, the technical consideration for safe and correct application of pesticides and herbicides are often neglected, unknown or not regulated. 

He maintained that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) recommends that the use of pesticides in crop production to produce food, both for domestic consumption and for export should comply with good agricultural practices guidelines during primary production.  

Yakusak also said that, “a key component of the risk management measures in pesticides control system is to train contract spray service providers certified to carry out pesticide applications in farms and agricultural commodities targeted for export. Relevant authorities involved in food safety and international trade in the agri-food sector must therefore develop a practical and workable solution to sensitize and educate value-chain stakeholders on good agricultural practices and food safety measures prior to export.”

Lead Resource persons at the workshop all harped on the need to curtail the escalating concerns over the wrong uses of pesticides in the country.

The speakers all pointed out the implications of wrong usage of pesticides to include the contamination of water, air, soil and habitat as well as direct wildlife exposure to toxic materials that may harm natural predators, pollinators, beneficial soil organisms, fish, birds among others.

“Excess residue on food through overuse on food products such as fruits and vegetables. Over use resulting to seed discoloration reduces value of the seeds. Pest resistance which occurs when the same materials or products with the same chemical groups are used repeatedly.

Continued on www.dailytrust.com

“Economic losses due to crop damage or poor pest control. Pesticides poisoning: resulting to acute symptoms like headache, nausea, dizziness, convulsions, vomiting, fever and breathing difficulties,” a presenter, Francis Bum posited.

One of the resource persons who is the National President, National Association of Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers, Professor Simon Irtwange, in his presentation entitled, ‘Calibration of Pesticides and use of Personal Protective Equipment’, called for the outright ban on the use of pesticides because of the dangers they pose to the health and lives of Nigerians.

Also, the Head of Department, Crop and Environmental Protection of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, Professor Rosemary Ahom, noted that the wrongful application of chemicals in farms had led to chronic health issues including its adversity on the reproductive health of women.

On his part, Dr. Solomon Sunday of the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) who spoke on Certification Requirements and Processing of Agricultural Produce for Export, maintained that the controlled use of pesticide was very important to protect the health of Nigerians.