The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has intensified calls on persons or organisations and outlets that deal in Agro-Chemicals to desist from the sale of some deadly and dangerous Agro-chemicals on the Ghanaian Market.
According to the EPA, the Ghana Pesticide Register has banned the sale of about 14 Chemicals including Dieldrin, DDT and Sulphan which are dangerous to human and plant life.
The Northern Regional Director of EPA, Dr. Abu Iddrisu said his outfit frowns on the sale of such chemicals and it will not hesitate to close down any outlet and prosecute persons in custody of such chemicals.
Dr. Iddrisu said this at a sensitisation and Training Programme organised by EPA for Agrochemical dealers and retailers in Tamale.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under its law, is responsible for issuing agro-chemical licenses to retailers of agrochemical dealers and pesticides in the country. The training programme is therefore aimed at sensitising and enhancing the capacity of agrochemical dealers to understand the laws and regulations binding the sector so that they do not go contrary to any environmental laws in the discharge of their duties.
About 60 agrochemical dealers from 12 districts of the Northern region took part in the training. The Northern Regional Director of EPA, Dr. Abu Iddrisu said the sale of agro-chemicals in Ghana would be restricted to only those licensed by the Agency to operate.
He said the measure is necessary to ensure strict compliance with safety guidelines in the sale and handling of agro-chemicals in view of their poisonous nature and danger to public health.
Dr. Abu said so far agro chemical outlets in the region are adhering to compliance with the EPA and called for effective public private partnership to deal with the issue since there are few recalcitrant persons who still flout the rules and regulations.
By: Joyce Kantam Kolamong.
