To protect mature mango trees from disease and insect infestations, growers in the Philippines in provinces such as Batangas, Laguna, Pangasinan, Davao and Cebu used to be heavy users of crop protection products. Spray applicators would regularly climb the trees with equipment to apply products. Accidents involving workers falling from trees and sustaining injuries were
A new report has examined the value of crop protection to consumers in the UK, and estimated that without pesticide products, food prices would rise by 40%.
With no pesticides to keep weeds, pests and diseases in check, crop yields would fall to half their current levels, leading to higher food prices, concludes the report. Annually,
A case study done in Uganda found that weeding absorbed over 50% of smallholder farmers’ production costs.
It also occurs at times when the demand for labour is quite high and needed for many farm activities.
Crop protection products such as herbicides and the adoption of best practices can help reduce this burden.
In the Ugandan case study,
