Farmers cautioned against use of unlabelled chemicals

Maize farmers have been cautioned against the use of unlabelled pesticides and other dangerous chemicals in the storage of their products.

Mr Benard Kwasi Dwomoh, Managing Director of Bentronic Agro Chemicals in Kumasi, said the practice where some farmers bought pesticides in tots and use them to store their maize was very dangerous to food security.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the Ashanti Regional Farmers’ Day celebrations at Jacobu in the Amansie Central District on Friday, Mr Dwomoh advised farmers to buy approved and properly labeled pesticides to store their maize.

He explained that there were so many chemicals with different concentration and formulations, but with the same scent and if care was not taken, a wrong chemical could be bought and used to store maize.

This, he said, could be very dangerous since it could cause food poisoning and death.

Mr Dwomoh said in response to farmers’ demand, Bentronic Agro Chemicals had formulated some of the chemicals in smaller quantities to meet the pockets of farmers.

This will enable them to afford and to desist from buying chemicals in tots.

Mr Dwomoh said the company had taken upon itself to educate farmers on the correct and safe application of agrochemicals to ensure food safety especially among cereal crop farmers in the country.

He also advised hunters and fishermen to desist from using agrochemicals to trap animals for consumption since that was dangerous to the health of those who consumed them.

Source: GNA