Two participants from Mekong Institute’s recent training programs under the Food Safety Project organized localized trainings for 63 farmers on integrated pest management (IPM) and effective pesticide use on rice and coffee on August 1 and 3. Held in Soc Trang and Lam Dong provinces of Vietnam, the two activities were part of the action plans developed during the Regional Training Program on Assuring Food Safety through Pest and Agrichemical Management organized in May 2017. 

Ms. Vuong Bich Van of the Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Soc Trang Province provided 23 rice farmers with knowledge on IPM and the application of agrichemicals in accordance with the 4R principles. Meanwhile, Mr. Vy The Vu of the Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Lam Dong Province trained 40 coffee farmers on the most common pests in the different stages of coffee’s life cycle as well as the appropriate pesticides that can be used accordingly. 

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Quang, Deputy Head of Communal People’s Committee of Tan Van Commune in Lam Ha District, Lam Dong Province, since coffee farmers confront significant economic losses due to pests, the localized training contributed in enhancing farmers’ knowledge and skills in managing pests as well as guiding them to use pesticide properly. In turn, this will allow coffee farmers to save production costs while providing consumers with high-quality and safe products. 

The Regional Training Program on Assuring Food Safety through Pest and Agrichemical Management is the second in a series of food safety training programs organized under the MI-Food Safety Project supported by New Zealand Aid Programme. The Project aims to build up the capacity of a wide array of sectors in adopting and promoting better food safety practices along the horticultural value chain.