and Integrated Pest Management - part - usaid

PESTICIDE SAFE USE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN
INDONESIA
H. Siswomihardjo
Directorate of Food Crop Protection
JI. Aup, Pasar Minggu, Jakarta, Indonesia
In Indonesia, as in many other countries, pesticides are indispensable to the
economic development of the country, especially to the development of
agriculture. Although many methods are used to control pests, use of pesticides
is the main method of crop protection in many parts of the country. There are
many reasons for this, one of which is that non-pesticide methods generally
require more time, labor and higher cost. Thus, the supply and distribution of
pesticides are important considerations in successful crop production. The
Government has been very concerned about all problems associated with the
supply and distribution of pesticides, and has acted to ensure that farmcrs can
obtain pesticides anytime they need them, and that they use them safely ad
effectively.
Knowlage about pesticides is commonly limited among the general public,
especially with respect to their utilization, distribution and storage. Very often,
pesticides are improperly handled and even farmers do not understand the advice
about safe use of pesticides. This becomes very important when about twothirds
of the Indonesian population are farmers who often use pesticides as part
of their agricultural operations. Therefore, many farmers routinely face hazards
associated with pesticide use.
The hazards resulting from pesticide use are known to be closely related to
the level of education, knowledge and skill of their users. Generally, jesticide
hazards are minimized if users are knowledgeable about methods for safe use.
Therefore, in Indonesia, some training is carried out for pesticide retailers, and
pesticide users like progressive farmers and others, to promote their knowledge
and skills concerning handling and utilization of pesticides.
Since most pesticides are toxic to man and other living organisms, retail
distribution of pesticides under certain conditions has brought about cases of
accidental poisoning, contamination of foodstuffs and feed, and other undesirable
side effects. It is very important that training for the safe use of pesticides be
carried out inorder to solve the problems associated with handling of pesticides.
SAFE USE TRAINING PROGRAMS
The Directorate of Food Crop Protection (DFCP) of the Ministry of
Agriculture, has developed a training program on pesticide safe use. The
objective of this program is to increase the level of knowledge among staff
members of the Ministry of Agriculture, especially among the pesticide