Research, development and management of green and safe pesticides

(CPV) - In recent years, thanks to training programs from functional sectors and businesses, farmers' awareness of the use of pesticides has been increasingly improved.

On that basis, people use the right medicine (right subject), right dosage, right time, right way (right method), both maximizing the ability to protect crops and minimizing negative impacts on the environment, ensuring food safety and quality, meeting the standards of import markets.

On the afternoon of November 8, the Plant Protection Department, Today's Rural Newspaper, Croplife Vietnam, and the Association of Enterprises Producing and Trading Plant Protection Products jointly organized an online seminar on Research, Development and Management of Plant Protection Products.

Speakers at the seminar (Photo: Trung Quan)

According to Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department, pesticides play an important role in protecting and improving crop productivity, ensuring food security. The contribution of pesticides in promoting agricultural exports cannot be denied. However, if pesticides are not used properly, they will affect the environment, human health, and food safety.

In 2024, Vietnam's agricultural, forestry and fishery exports could reach over 60 billion USD. Of this figure, the most impressive is that fruit exports have reached over 6 billion, an increase of over 30%. This is proof that Vietnam has complied well with the regulations of the import market. Vietnam's agricultural export market is currently expanding with impressive numbers, however, all export markets have strict regulations on food safety and pesticide residues. In the long term, these regulations will be increasingly raised, so awareness of users also needs to be raised to ensure compliance with regulations not only domestically but also in the export market.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu also informed that Vietnam currently has over 800 plant protection products; of which biological pesticides account for 18%, leading the group of Southeast Asian countries. With a rich variety of types, pest management with biological pesticides is very convenient for farmers.

With the above amount of plant protection products, Mr. Nguyen Huu Quang - representative of CropLife Vietnam said that to research a new active ingredient to put into the production of plant protection products to serve production is not easy. Up to now, plant protection products are one of the products with the strictest safety assessment in the world and require many synthesis steps with extremely strict assessment requirements. The research process is long and expensive.

According to research by Agbioinvestor, to introduce a new pesticide to the market, businesses need to invest an average of 301 million USD and spend over 12 years. A long research period is needed to ensure both pest control and environmental safety, including surrounding organisms as well as soil and water environments. The cost of ensuring environmental safety research accounts for up to 2/3 of the cost of bringing a product to market.

Efficiency and safety are the two most important issues in the production of plant protection products. There are two main stages: Researching active ingredients and conducting field trials. Field trials usually last about 4 years and safety research can last up to 20 years, to ensure that the product benefits farmers, does not waste resources and takes into account safety for humans, animals and the environment, soil, water; aquatic organisms, etc., Mr. Nguyen Huu Quang emphasized.

Using pesticides safely and effectively (Photo: Trung Quan)

To use pesticides that both prevent harmful organisms and are safe for humans and the environment, Mr. Nguyen Van Son - Chairman of the Vietnam Pesticide Production and Trading Enterprises Association (VIPA) said that this is a difficult problem. The important principle of using pesticides is to only use them when harmful organisms exceed the threshold of causing great harm. The agricultural sector needs to increase the use of biological pesticides and reduce chemical pesticides. It is necessary to develop new generation pesticides that, although expensive, have high pest control and are safe for humans and the environment...

“It is important to bring pesticides to farmers in accordance with regulations and instruct them on how to use the pesticides according to the "4 rights" principle to ensure high pest control and safety for humans and the environment,” Mr. Nguyen Van Son emphasized.

Ms. Bui Thanh Huong, Head of the Plant Protection Department, Plant Protection Department, shared that the agricultural sector has projects aiming at green agricultural production; including the Project "Developing production and use of biological pesticides to 2030, with a vision to 2050".

Currently, among more than 100 pesticide factories, about 80% produce biological pesticides, but output is still low.

However, according to the speakers at the seminar, chemical and biological pesticides both have advantages and disadvantages. It is impossible to favor one type over the other, but it is necessary to combine the two types harmoniously, using them alternately. Some diseases require this type of pesticide, others require that type of pesticide. There are times when epidemics occur and chemical pesticides must be used to repel the epidemic.

Farmers need to use pesticides appropriately to ensure crop safety, agricultural product quality, and output. Using pesticides correctly according to the principles of the new drugs will bring about effectiveness.

Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/kinh-te/nghien-cuu-phat-trien-va-quan-ly-thuoc-bao-ve-thuc-vat-xanh-an-toan-682746.html