Vietnamese TV Promotes Pesticide Safety
2 September 2008 Since 2005, a popular television program in Vietnam focuses on the responsible use of pesticides. Real farmers sing, dance, and engage in contests, answering questions about the responsible use of pesticides in agriculture. Contestants and their teams are judged on their answers and overall performance, while the audience picks up important lessons about good agricultural practices.
The show is sponsored by the Plant Protection Department (PPD) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with funding from Croplife Asia, a bio-technology non-profit. The PPD has also opened Farmer Field Schools (FFS) that teach the safe use of pesticides and draw participants to the contest.
One fruit and vegetable grower, Nguyen Thi Hai, says PPD training has helped her to achieve higher production, minimize pesticide residues, and learn about the life cycle of insects and the right stage to apply pesticides for different pests.
Half of Vietnam’s 64 provinces and municipalities have been reached by the PPD training initiatives, which is increasing its efforts to cover more provinces every year. Nguyen Quang Minh, PPD director, says that the successful combination of training and televised contests will continue to play a significant role in reaching farmers throughout the country.
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