Byas: In the wake of increasing use of chemicals to produce cereals, vegetables, and fruits, the Agriculture Knowledge Centre here has launched an integrated pesticide management (IPM) system to reduce the use of pesticide. Information officer and agronomist at the Centre, Kiran Pariyar, said they were inculcating knowledge and skills to the farmers by adopting the ‘learning by doing: seeing by believing’ principle. The farmers are instructed in the very agricultural fields.
According to National News Agency Nepal, an IPM programme was launched to make farmers engaged in agricultural production aware of the drawbacks of pesticide use. Chief of the Centre, Gopal Sharma Lamichhane, informed that the farmers were taught how the use of pesticide could be reduced to prevent its adverse impact on human health and agro products. “It is time to teach about alternatives to chemicals. So, we’ve provided orientation on impacts of pesticide, possible options, and marketing of the products free of pesticide use,” he stated.
He further informed that farmers were asked to practically continue what they learned during the training. Both theoretical and practical sessions are held in the 16-day-long training. The Centre coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperative in Gandaki Province to organize an IPM event where the farmers from Kunchali village of Byas municipality were trained on planting trees, plucking fruits, and marketing the products. A total of 24 farmers were trained on the production of pesticide-free vegetables and fruits.
Mayor of Byas municipality, Baikuntha Neupane, viewed agriculture as the best alternative to create jobs. He, however, expressed concern, “Imported things, reported to have laced with chemicals, are dominating the market.” Neupane stressed that the IPM technology is essential to reduce pesticide use. All farmers from across the district need such training.