Training promotes increased safety in agricultural pesticide applications in Brazil

For scientific researcher Hamilton Ramos, coordinator of the Reference Unit for Technology and Safety in the Application of Agrochemicals (UR), no matter how much controversy there is surrounding the use of agricultural pesticides, such products are indispensable to agribusiness. According to the scientist, in a large country with a tropical climate, such as Brazil, productivity is still not obtained in large cultivated areas without chemical management of weeds, pests and diseases that compete with crops.

According to the researcher, UR aims to reduce the deficit of specialized labor in the application of agrochemicals and, thus, raise safety standards for spraying operations carried out in the country. The entity, says Ramos, trains consultants capable of guiding rural workers around the correct and safe use of agrochemicals.

A non-profit entity, UR is headquartered in the São Paulo city of Jundiaí and is the result of a partnership between the Engineering and Automation Center of the Agronomic Institute (CEA/IAC) – an entity of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of the State of SP – and the private initiative.

“UR prepares agricultural technicians and agronomist engineers with a view to the sustainability of the use of agrochemicals or agricultural pesticides. It also trains these professionals to convey key concepts of technology and security using the simple language of a man in the field”, reinforces Ramos.

According to Ramos, figures compiled by UR indicate that between 25 million and 30 million people work in agribusiness today. Of these, around 4,5 million are illiterate and 12 million work on a temporary basis. Another relevant data indicates that 85% of workers in the sector do not have qualifications and carry out their activities on small properties.

“On small properties, especially, misinformation predominates, leading to a lack of resources to support the safe use of agrochemicals. In these places, in general, we see low rates of use of personal protective equipment, for example”, continues Ramos.

Ramos also emphasizes that the misuse of agrochemicals causes annual losses of around R$2 billion to agribusiness, adding waste of active ingredients to expenses arising from accidents and poisoning.

New programs - Just under two years after opening, the Reference Unit (UR) has already carried out five face-to-face training programs, aimed at agricultural producers and professionals from medium and large agribusiness and agroindustry companies.

In the month of June this year, he says, the entity will launch new distance training programs (EAD), aimed at diverse audiences and will also expand the range of customized training for companies.

Between the 1st and 5th of April and the 13th and 17th of May this year, the Reference Unit will train a new group of consultants with an emphasis on Regulatory Standard 31.8 (NR 31.8), focused on preventing accidents with agrochemicals. From the 19th to the 23rd of August and from the 16th to the 20th of September, also in two stages, the Application Technology course will be taught. 

Registration for both trainings can be made on the website www.unidadedereferencia.com.br, limited to 15 participants per program.

The UR is located on the CEA-IAC premises, in the city of Jundiaí, 50 km from the capital of São Paulo, with easy access via the Anhanguera and Bandeirantes highways and 20 minutes from Viracopos airport, in Campinas (SP).