NRI Produces New Pocket Guide To Pest Control For Farmers In Developing Countries
Vegetable production is an important source of income for many farmers in developing countries, but pests can blight crops – and profits. Now a new book by Hans Dobson and Jerry Cooper at the Natural Resources Institute helps smallholder farmers improve their pest control.
The easy-to-read guide, entitled ‘Pocket Book of Integrated Pest Management for Vegetable Growers’, is full of cartoons and diagrams to illustrate key messages. “Farmers’ first reaction is often to use chemical pesticides”, says Jerry Cooper. “But over-reliance on pesticides can be counter-productive.
“Our message is that a mix of traditional methods and careful choice of varieties can help to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. Pesticides are the last resort.”
The 100 page book, sponsored by the UK Department for International Development (DfID) includes recognition of both pests and beneficial insects (so farmers don’t spray ladybird beetles thinking they are pests, for instance) and how to use a mix of different strategies to reduce pest problems.
Government, Non-Governmental, Inter-Governmental Organisations and commercial channels are being used to distribute the book to farmers in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon and Tanzania. Jerry reports that it is already making a difference: “A passion fruit farmer in the Kinangop district of Kenya called Stephen Ng’ang’a told me, ‘Now we realise we’ve been wasting money on sprays’.
The book is just one of a set of information and training aids for small-scale farmers produced by the same authors.
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