Valley
Pesticide control meet concludes
Fifteen countries in Asia Pacific region, including Nepal, have prepared country-specific action plans to monitor and control the use of pesticides in the farming sector.During a five-day international conference that concluded in the Capital on Friday, representatives from the countries discussed strategies to create awareness and effective implementation of the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management formulated by United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in 2014.
According to Dilli Ram Bhandari, chief at Plant Protection Department (PPD) under the Ministry of Agricultural Development, the latest code of conduct released by the FAO focuses on safe handling of pesticides, stops the use of banned pesticides and formulates coherent policies and programmes to discourage the use of harmful pesticides, chemical fertilisers and promote eco-friendly strategies in farming sector, among others. The conference was jointly organised by the PPD and Asia Pacific Plant Protection Commission.
Meanwhile, the participants also visited Kavre to see the activities related to biological pesticides and Integrated Pest Management being practised by farmers. The participants also visited the pesticides checking labs set up in Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market and learned about the Nepal government’s approach towards controlling the supply and sale of pesticides-laced vegetables and fruits.