DoA holds course on handling pesticides
Top student Jason Berry with his certificates
(CNS Local Life): The Department of Agriculture (DoA) recently held a six-day workshop on safe handling of pesticides which 22 people from relevant industries completed. The “Safe Use and Handling of Pesticide Products” course comprised presentations by officials from the DoA, Department of Environmental Health, Health Services Authority and the local representative for the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute.
As part of the course, the attendees, from the farming, pest control, landscaping, lawn and garden maintenance and plant nursery industries, also completed practical and written examinations.
Course topics included Ethics and Issues Surrounding the Use of Pesticides in the Cayman Islands; Handling Pesticides; Pesticide Application Methods & Personal Protective Equipment; Symptomatology & Recognition of Pesticide Poisoning; Storage, Transportation & Disposal of Pesticides; and the Biology of Pests.
“Both the Ministry and the Department of Agriculture recognise the critical importance of the safe, judicious and effective use of pesticides within the sector and view this course as a key component of achieving this overall objective,” said Minister of Agriculture Juliana O’Connor-Connolly in a press release.
“Pesticides are an important and almost indispensable tool in the maintenance of an aesthetically pleasing environment, for our living comfort and for food production and storage. I commend these participants and their respective employers for seeking out more information and arming themselves with the necessary knowledge to carry out their jobs safely, more efficiently and in a manner that protects both themselves and the community.”
Director of Agriculture Adrian Estwick awarded certificates of participation, achievement, merit or distinction to the participants based on their exam results, with DoA employee Jason Berry taking top marks in both the written and practical exams. “Having now completed this course, these students are now well versed in methods to properly select, apply, store and dispose of pesticide products thereby maximising their effectiveness and minimising any potential harmful impacts,” said Estwick.
First held in September 1996 in conjunction with the University of the West Indies, this is the 15th staging of the course which is now hosted exclusively by the DoA. To date almost 300 people have been trained.
Category: Agriculture, Education, Training
