FG trains Ekiti farmers on pesticides application to avert food-based poison

Apparently disturbed by indiscriminate application of pesticide and herbicide on food and cash crops, which could result in food poisoning, an agency of the Federal Government – the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has begun routine training for farmers in Ekiti State to avert food poison-induced deaths.

NDE came up with the routine training on pesticide and herbicide applications on agricultural produce and livestock ‎for farmers in Ekiti on the heels of the recent mysterious deaths that broke out in Ode-Irele, Irele Local Government Area of neighbouring Ondo State, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) later diagnosed to have been caused by weed killer.

Akinyemi Babatope, NDE co-ordinator in the state, said the training was primarily organised to improve on the mitigating measures of reducing harmful incidents on farm and livestock enterprises as well as to create awareness to the general public on the negative impacts of food poison intakes.

Akinyemi noted that the workshop was part of the series of mitigating activities slated to undertake in a couple of months to educate many farmers as well as other stakeholders in the agriculture and food handling sector of the state economy to prevent any possible outbreak of strange diseases and incidents induced by food poisons.

‎Also speaking at the event, Oludare Abegunde, permanent secretary, Ekiti State Ministry of Agriculture, said the biological control would eliminate the possibility of ingesting toxins and poisons associated with chemical-based controlled system, explaining that the recent mysterious deaths might not have occurred if there had been routine trainings for farmers and food handlers on effective usage of pesticides and herbicides on crops and livestock.

Abegunde also noted that the state government had retained the Ebola medical team to confront any spread of the disease or any strange illness in the state, saying: “The government rose to the challenge, we don’t have anything to fear.

“Immediately the news broke, the governor went on air to tell the people to report strange signs in hospitals.”

OLUWASHOLA SOLOMON