Liquid pesticides: Hold your nose

As farmers are on the streets protesting against the shortage of chemical fertiliser, they face another challenge of how to apply the newly imported liquid fertilisers and pesticides since there is little support from agricultural instructors who are supposed to brief the farming communities on how to use them.

Many farmers complain of bad odour from these liquid pesticides to an extent that daily labourers are staying away from spraying them or demand an extra stipend to do the job.

This week, Kilinochchi farmers gathered at the regional Agrarian Service Centre to secure their fertilisers and pesticides, when one of the bottles was broken inside the office. The unpleasant smell forced the farmers to disperse quickly, along with some of the staff attached to the office.