Jun 23, 2023
Are you an Agrovet? Here are the four things that we think you should learn.
1. As Mr. Mahesh Chandra Acharya, Senior Plant Protection Officer from PQPMC says, “There has been an increased trend in the use of pesticides in the agriculture scene in Nepal. It may be due to the increased commercialization in agriculture, hybrid varieties of crops which are sensitive to pests, and climate change. The role of Agrovets is to recommend the use of biopesticides and pheromone traps to minimize this effect.”
2. 60% of farmers visit the Agrovet first when they come across any problem. By encouraging the use of biopesticides, agrovets should also know about their storage. Since the biopesticides cannot be stored for a long duration, Agrovets should have a freezer for storage of these biopesticides and if no freezer is available, they must store them in a dark and cool place.
3. Prescribing chemical pesticides should be the last resort of any agrovet. Prescribing pesticides to the customer should be based on the mode of action of the pesticides whether systemic pesticides for sap-sucking insects, contact pesticides for soft-body insects, or fumigants for storage pests.
4. Agrovets should highly discourage farmers to discard chemical pesticides by burning, throwing in water sources, burying them on the ground, or throwing them anywhere and everywhere, but instead collect them, follow ‘triple rinsing’, and store them in one place which is out of reach of children.
Agrovets are the front line for farmers in terms of access to technical information and products. PIWAAI’s goal is to enhance the knowledge and skills of these agrovets, empowering them to better serve the farming community and contribute to the agricultural development of the Sindhupalchok region.
PIWAAI’s Refresher Agrovet Retailer’s Training which was conducted on 22nd and 23rd June 2023 for 8 Agrovets from Melamchi Municipality, Balefi and Sunkoshi Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchok was facilitated by Mr. Mahesh Chandra Acharya, Senior Plant Protection Officer, PQPMC, and Mr. Madhab Bhatta, Plant Protection Officer, PQPMC.
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