NEWS June
2000:
New
IPM Programme focuses on Cotton farmers
A
new Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programme has recently started which
will support the training of cotton farmers in Bangladesh,
China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Funded by the European Union and managed by the FAO, this is a ‘sister
project’ to two existing Regional IPM Programmes: the Programme for
Community IPM in Asia, and the
Inter-Country Programme for Vegetable IPM.
The
six countries which are participating in the new Cotton IPM Programme
together
account for approximately half of the entire world’s cotton production.
In these Asian countries, as elsewhere in the world, cotton is the
agricultural crop where most chemical pesticides are used. As a
result, cotton-producing areas experience serious problems of toxic
hazards to humans, adverse effects on the environment, and failing pest
control due to misuse and overuse of chemicals.
The
overall objective of the new Programme is to strengthen capabilities for
more sustainable and environmentally sound production of cotton.
To this end, the Programme will help to develop and implement
training of farmers in cotton IPM according to the participatory Training
of Trainers/Farmer Field School (TOT/FFS) model, in conjunction with
efforts to foster cooperation between institutions engaged in cotton IPM
and strengthening of IPM-conducive national plant protection policies.
From
February 28 to March 2, 2000, the first Workshop of the Programme was held
in Bangkok with the aim of planning Programme activities and exchanging
knowledge and views on Cotton IPM training curricula. Delegates of the six
member countries participated, as well as representatives from
the European Union and FAO.
The
first field activities of the Programme are in China.
A Training of Trainers (TOT) course started in Yincheng city of
Hubei Province on 28th March with 30 participants from Hubei,
Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces (see picture of agro-ecosystem analysis for
recently transplanted cotton crop). A second TOT started in Lingxian
county of Shandong Province on 12th April, with 30 participants
coming from Shandong, Henan, Xinjiang and Hebei Provinces. These are
season-long courses extending over 5 months; approximately 30% of the participants
are female. The graduates of
these TOTs will organize Farmer Field Schools next year in their
respective provinces.
