Nghe An strives to cover the system of pesticide waste tanks

Potential risks

As a province with a large agricultural scale, Nghe An cultivates about 370,000 hectares of various crops, using 400-500 tons of pesticides. From that, in the whole province there are about 30-40 tonspackaging, pesticide bottlestypes of waste discharged.

In fact, in areas without collection tanks, this source of hazardous waste is basically left by farmers on the banks of fields and canals, becoming a potential risk, affecting the soil and water environment, causing food safety and hygiene problems, and having very negative effects on human health.

Implementing the program of building a system of tanks to collect and treat pesticide packaging and bottles after use in the fields, and educating people about the harmful effects of pesticide residues on humans and the community, from 2017 to 2021, Nghe An built 4,134 tanks in Dien Chau, Do Luong, Thanh Chuong and Yen Thanh districts.

As of March 2022, the province has 15,536 tanks for collecting used pesticide packaging and bottles.

Plant protection waste tank in Yen Thanh district. Photo: Xuan Hoang

However, according to calculations, to ensure the requirements as prescribed, we must build 51,330 tanks. Currently, the whole province still lacks 35,794 collection tanks. Some localities are seriously lacking tanks such as Nghi Loc, Hoang Mai Town, Quy Hop, Tuong Duong...

According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, completing the system of tanks to collect waste from pesticides used in the fields is a very urgent requirement.

“According to research by the Institute of Agricultural Environment under the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the amount of pesticides remaining in packaging normally accounts for about 10% of the total amount of pesticides consumed, while in areas that have not installedwaste tank, most people carelessly throw pesticide packaging and bottles into the fields, causing negative impacts on public health. This is a truly alarming problem,” said Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc.

Nghe An farmers use pesticides to spray on rice. Photo: Quang An

To address the potential risks of pesticide packaging and bottles left in the fields after spraying on the environment and public health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have issued an inter-ministerial Circular to guide localities in collecting, transporting and treating used pesticide packaging. Accordingly, building waste tanks is one of the leading solutions.

Efforts to close the reservoir system in Do Luong district

Do Luong is a midland district of the province, with about 12,000 hectares of annual crops, of which 8,972 hectares of high land, not flooded, can be used to place tanks to collect pesticide packaging and bottles. According to regulations, the total number of tanks needed for the district's annual crop area is 2,991 tanks. In 2020, the district received support to build 873 collection tanks from the province's program. To date, the entire Do Luong district has 1,011 tanks, lacking 1,980 tanks.

According to Mr. Tran Ngoc Thuan - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Do Luong district, the lack of collection tanks has led to people indiscriminately dumping packaging and pesticide bottles on the banks of fields and ditches. This poses many serious risks throughaccumulation of pesticidesin water sources, in soil, in agricultural products, causing food insecurity, affecting human health and the community.

Meanwhile, the demand for pesticides in the district is increasing day by day, due to pests on rice plants such as leaf rollers, various types of planthoppers, rice blast disease, stem borers, corn borers, leaf-eating worms andNewly introduced pests such as fall armyworm, black-streaked dwarf disease on rice... are increasingly complex and irregular, requiring continuous prevention.

In areas where short-term crops are grown, the system of tanks to store pesticide waste is still lacking. Photo: Minh Thai

This year, Do Luong district continues to invest in building 555 more tanks in 6 communes including Dang Son, Lam Son, Thai Son, Thuan Son, Trang Son and Trung Son. These 6 communes have nearly 2,000 hectares of agricultural land (more than 1,400 hectares of rice and 538 hectares of vegetables and short-term crops), the demand for tanks is 723, but so far there are no tanks.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc said that in order to contribute to raising people's sense of responsibility about the harmful effects of packaging, medicine bottles as well as pesticide residues, in addition to the participation of the agricultural sector, the role of localities is also very important.

Currently, the provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection is simultaneously implementing many measures to gradually change the habit of producers indiscriminately dumping pesticide packaging and bottles in the fields. In addition to building a collection tank system, the unit is promoting propaganda work on mass media.

Nghe An farmers prevent pests and diseases in their crop fields. Photo: Quang An

In Do Luong district, the provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection will coordinate with the district to organize 12 conferences with the participation of 600 people, aiming to disseminate and raise awareness and responsibility for people about the harmful effects of pesticide residues on humans and the community; at the same time, propagate on the commune's loudspeaker system about current sources of environmental pollution in Vietnam, the impact of pesticides on the environment, human health and the community, and guide the collection of packaging and pesticide bottles after use...