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Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - The Pesticides Control Board, and the
Ministries for Health and Agriculture will form an integral part of a pesticides
survey to be undertaken by the Occupational Health and Safety Unit of the
Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Cooperatives. With eighty percent of all
imported chemicals reportedly directed into the agricultural sector, farmers
will also be expected to provide information related to the substances that they
utilise for farming.
According to Senior Occupational Health and Safety Officer Lesmond Magloire
information will be sourced from certain key agencies.” With the pesticides
survey we will be looking at or survey pesticide distributors, persons who sell
pesticides, the farm owner, how many acres they farm, and what they cultivate.
We would also look at the graphic location of the farms - we would also want to
find out for instance the pesticides sold to the farmers during the last three
years.”
This data will be used to qualitatively identify the products used in terms of
names, active ingredients and the quantity sold to farmers. Data collection will
be obtained from the year 2000 to 2002. The survey is one of the components
under the “Prevention and Management of Agricultural Pesticide Related Illness”
Project. The survey should commence on January 12, 2004.
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