Govt urged to regulate import of agro-chemicals

Abutia-Kloe (V/R), Oct. 8, GNA- Mr Samuel Kangah, General-Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of the TUC on Tuesday urged government to initiate legislation to regularise the importation and use of agro-chemicals.
This is to curtail the indiscriminate importation and use of the chemical on the populace.
Mr Kangah was opening a three-day national workshop on Health Safety and Environment in the agriculture sector for 31 Circle Facilitators of the Union at Abutia-Kloe, near Ho The workshop will identify health safety and environmental hazards, health and safety legislation in Ghana and ILO Convention on health and safety in agriculture.
Mr Kangah observed that labels on several imported agro-chemicals including those which were donated were in languages other than English, and therefore dangerous to use.
He said the issues of chemicals and the environment are human rights related and stressed that work-place committees on safety and environment should be formed and empowered to perform. The General-Secretary also urged government to give legal backing to its directive to state institutions to patronise locally made foods except where it became absolutely necessary to import. This he said would cut down on the agriculture import bill and reward farmers for their commitment.
He urged farmers to join forces with unionised workers by joining GAWU to champion their interests as very important contributors to national development.
He proposed to the government to categorise the Farmers Day Award scheme so that peasant and small-scale farmers could also be honoured for their commitment.
Mr Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe, Health and Safety Co-ordinator of GAWU, urged farmers to develop and use local alternatives to agro-chemicals, understand the nature of the various agro-chemicals, and the dangers posed to their health.
They should also use protective clothing and not involve their children in the use and application of chemicals.