Nghe An: Lack of more than 16 thousand tanks for storing pesticide packaging

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection said: Every year, Nghe An cultivates about 370 thousand hectares of various crops, using 500 - 700 tons of pesticides, thereby discharging 50 - 70 tons of pesticide packaging into the fields.

Spraying rice blast disease in Hung Nguyen district. Photo: Phu Huong

According to regulations of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Environment, there must be at least 1 tank for storing pesticide packaging and bottles on an area of ​​3 hectares of land for annual crops, or 10 hectares of land for perennial crops using pesticides.

However, with a total rice production area of ​​73,750 hectares in 10 districtsThe main rice growing areas of Nghe An are Hung Nguyen, Nam Dan, Thanh Chuong, Do Luong, Anh Son, Tan Ky, Quynh Luu, Yen Thanh, Dien Chau and Nghi Loc.Currently, the number of tanks storing used pesticide packaging and bottles is only 8,354 tanks. Thus, the number of tanks lacking in the 10 above mentioned localities is 16,223 tanks.

Garbage bins are placed on the fields of Bac Thanh commune (Yen Thanh). Photo: Xuan Hoang

That shortage has led to a very worrying situation today, which is that most of the packaging and pesticide bottles are being left by farmers on the banks of fields and water sources, posing a potential risk to environmental hygiene and safety, seriously affecting human and community health, and being one of the causes of serious diseases in society today./.