Encouraging the use of biological pesticides in agricultural production

Using biological pesticides is a trend of clean and sustainable agricultural production. With the desire to create high quality agricultural products, valuable, safe for human health and environmental protection, the province has had many policies to encourage the increased use of biological pesticides in agricultural production.

Nhan Ly Agricultural Service Cooperative (Binh Xuyen) uses drones to spray biological pesticides. Photo: Nguyen Luong

Vinh Phuc has an annual crop growing area of about 85 thousand hectares. To ensure good crop growth and limit damage caused by pests, the demand for pesticides in the province is quite large, about 60 tons/year. In previous years, people mainly used chemical pesticides. Long-term use of chemical pesticides has left negative impacts, affecting human health and the living environment.

To promote the use of biological pesticides and protect the environment, the province has implemented a number of production support programs such as: Program to support the production of safe vegetables and fruits according to VietGAP standards with an area of 1,800 hectares/year; program to support organic agricultural production... In addition, every year, the Department of Agriculture strengthens propaganda on the use of biological pesticides for users through training courses on pest control, planting area management...

Farmers in Van Hoi commune (Tam Duong) spray biological pesticides to prevent pests on vegetables. Photo: Nguyen Luong

In addition to the province's support policies, in recent years, consumer demand for safe agricultural products has been increasing. Therefore, farmers are increasingly interested in using biological pesticides in agricultural production. According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the proportion of biological pesticides used in agricultural production in the province accounts for about 25%.

At Nhan Ly Agricultural Service Cooperative (Binh Xuyen) - one of the typical cooperatives producing clean agriculture in the province, the use of biological pesticides has become a habit. With a cultivated area of over 150 hectares, up to now, the rate of biological pesticides used by the cooperative has reached 50 - 60% of the total amount of pesticides.

Ms. Le Thi Huong, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Nhan Ly Agricultural Service Cooperative, affirmed: "In order to create quality products that are safe for consumers' health, for more than 15 years, the Cooperative has introduced biological pesticides into agricultural production with a rate increasing year by year."

With advantages such as leaving little toxic residue in agricultural products; safe for humans, the environment and the ecosystem; short quarantine time... the use of biological pesticides in agricultural production is considered one of the important solutions contributing to environmental protection, improving the quality and value of agricultural products, promoting sustainable agricultural production development.

The benefits are clear, but increasing the rate of using biological pesticides in agricultural production in the province is still difficult. The reason is that the habit of using chemical pesticides has been ingrained in farmers' practices for many years, affecting crops faster. Biological pesticides take longer to take effect than chemical pesticides, and the cost of use is also higher. Not to mention, the rate of biological pesticides registered in the list of pesticides allowed for use in Vietnam is low, accounting for 10.79%...

With the view that developing the production and use of biological pesticides is an inevitable trend, in December 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development approved the Project on developing the production and use of biological pesticides until 2030, with a vision to 2050. According to the project, by 2030, the amount of biological pesticides used will increase to 30% of the total amount of pesticides used.

To promote the use of biological pesticides in agricultural production, in the coming time, the agricultural sector will continue to effectively implement programs and plans to support producers in using biological pesticides such as the program to support the production of safe vegetables and fruits according to VietGAP standards; the program to support organic agricultural production, following the organic direction; the program to build and manage growing area codes... Strengthen the propaganda work on the use of biological pesticides for people through mass media, training courses...

The Department of Agriculture advises the Provincial People's Committee to issue mechanisms and policies to support farmers in using biological pesticides; focusing on crops with high economic value, requiring food safety conditions to serve export and domestic consumption needs.

Nguyen Huong

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