Nghe An is interested in investing in a system of tanks to collect waste to protect plants.
From the program supporting the construction of a system of tanks to collect and treat packaging and bottles of plant protection drugs, the system of waste tanks has gradually covered the fields in many localities.
Continue to cover the tank system
In 2023, Quynh Luu district will be supported to build a system of tanks to store waste and used pesticide packaging in 12 communes: An Hoa, Quynh Giang, Quynh Hoa, Quynh Hong, Quynh Hung, Quynh Nghia, Quynh Ngoc, Quynh Thach, Quynh Tho, Quynh Thuan, Quynh Van and Quynh Yen commune.
The leader of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quynh Luu district said: By the end of 2022, the district had built 1,595 waste tanks to partially solve the problem of farmers indiscriminately dumping this type of waste in the fields, seriously affecting the environment and human health.
However, with a large area of rice, vegetables, and short-term crops, to meet the requirements according to regulations, Quynh Luu must have 4,471 tanks. With support to build 934 tanks, we have basically overcome the shortage of tanks in some agricultural production communes of the district. And in the coming time, along with good organization of tank maintenance, waste collection and treatment, Quynh Luu district will continue to make efforts to mobilize and gradually "cover" the system of tanks for plant protection waste in the area.
Started in 2017, the program "Building a system of tanks to collect and treat packaging and bottles of pesticides after use in the fields, and educating people about the harmful effects of pesticide residues on humans and the community" has been implemented in Yen Thanh, Anh Son, Dien Chau, Thanh Chuong and Do Luong districts.
Before the program was implemented, in some localities, the government and people had invested in building tanks to store plant protection waste, but the quantity was very small, insignificant and the specifications and quality were not guaranteed. Most of the packaging and empty bottles of pesticides were left by farmers on the banks of fields and in ditches, becoming a potential risk to food safety and especially affecting human health and the community.
With the support of the province, localities also need to proactively promote their internal resources, build and close the system of tanks to contain waste and pesticide packaging after use in the fields to meet practical requirements. At the same time, it is necessary to enhance responsibility in coordinating propaganda, inspecting and supervising the implementation as well as collecting and treating this type of hazardous waste.
Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection
Under the direction of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the province and the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the program has achieved remarkable results so far. In localities where it has been implemented, the initial tank system has basically met the requirements. From 2017 to 2023, the program has supported the construction of 6,735 tanks, bringing the total number of tanks for collecting packaging and bottles of pesticides after use in the fields in Nghe An to nearly 16,000.
Although not fully meeting the demand, the problem of collecting and treating waste after use in localities supported to build tanks has been significantly improved. In particular, many production areas have been covered; tanks are built according to specifications, installation locations are suitable for actual requirements, the situation of littering all kinds of waste and packaging in the fields has significantly reduced.
Raising awareness among producers
Along with the efforts to close the system of collecting plant protection waste, in recent years, the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection has also coordinated with localities to organize propaganda conferences or integrate propaganda into IPM, ICM, SRI classes, and communities for people about the harmful effects on the environment and public health of packaging and bottles of plant protection products after use in the fields. Thereby, raising awareness and consciousness of both people and local authorities in collecting and treating this type of hazardous waste.
From those efforts, farmers have gradually had clear changes, changed habits, become aware of protecting their own health and the community's, as well as protecting the living environment.
Ms. Vu Thi Hoa, Hoa Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district said: We have been informed about the dangers of carelessly throwing away pesticide bags in the fields, affecting water sources, affecting our own health and everyone else's, so very few people do not collect them. Even if I see other people's packaging thrown on the shore, I collect them and put them in a centralized tank.
According to Mr. Le Van Hong - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Yen Thanh district, although the system of plant protection waste tanks has not been closed in all communes, in general, people's awareness is increasingly raised, some communes also regularly inspect, monitor, remind, and point out violations on the loudspeaker system, so the situation of people "dumping waste anywhere", which has had a negative impact on the protection of the soil and water environment like before, has been significantly reduced.
After 7 years of implementation, the program "Building a system of tanks to collect and treat packaging and bottles of pesticides after use in the fields, and educating people about the harmful effects of pesticide residues on humans and the community" has contributed significantly to solving the problem of lack of tanks, leading to littering in the fields in localities in the province.
However, with nearly 154,000 hectares of land for rice, vegetables and short-term crops that can be used to collect pesticide packaging and bottles, Nghe An must install 51,330 tanks to meet the requirements of the joint circular of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. In reality, the number of tanks currently available in the province cannot meet the demand.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, the program is still being and will continue to be implemented in localities in the province, with priority given to investment and construction in areas with concentrated agricultural production land areas and large amounts of pesticides used.
Packaging and bottles of plant protection drugs are mainly made of nylon and plastic bottles, which are very difficult to decompose and can last for decades, even hundreds of years in natural conditions. In addition, it is estimated that only more than 40% of the amount of pesticides after spraying comes into direct contact with pests, more than 50% of the remaining pesticides remain in the packaging, fly into the air, especially are washed away with water flowing into canals, ponds, lakes, causing environmental pollution and harmful effects on human health. Every year, Nghe An uses 500-700 tons of plant protection drugs, equivalent to about 50-70 tons of packaging and pesticide bottles being discarded.
