Safety Brigade

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Wednesday, April 1st 2009

Equality for Impoverished Agrarian Communities Everywhere

The desperate plight of village communities in the third world has become passé. We see pictures like the one below, but no longer feel any pity for the women who have to live in relative poverty.

Agriculture is hard work and the labor does not cease even after harvest. The absence of proper infrastructure forces farmers, including women, to carry their produce in excruciatingly difficult circumstances. Even young girls are not spared humiliating hardships.

Have you ever harvested a crop or sprayed a field. You should try it sometime. It is not just a matter of the third world. Agrarian communities are exploited even in the world’s most advanced economy. Take a look at the report at the following link:

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/a-day-in-the-cabbage-patch-1.1633331

It seems that not all of Florida is about Disneyworld, beaches, and glorious holidays.

Please share your experiences about life in villages at this forum.

Tuesday, March 31th 2009

What about pesticide spills?

It is encouraging to read the report at the following link:

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/energy/2009/mar/30/energy-30-03-2009-003.htm

Oil is not the worst item to be involved in transport accidents that can happen at any time. Pesticides not only contain flammable fractions of crude oil, but have toxic active ingredients as well. The world body of international pesticide manufacturers has comprehensive guidelines to contain risks involved in the transport of their products. Take a look at the following link:

http://www.croplife.org/issue.aspx?issue=2b014fc6-7fcd-4782-a3da-d5fc69aa8d88

It is not enough for domain-experts and industry bodies to keep their safety procedures in towers of isolation. Emergency workers, local authorities, and the lay public, must all know what to do in the event of an accident. Do you know how to handle a pesticide spill? Could your family or you be affected by one?

Contact Safety Brigade for information and help.

Monday, March 30th 2009

Satara Checks-in First for Safenet Feedback

There are no photographs because the video technician did not show up on time. The webcasting system malfunctioned as well. That is why we must rely on the memory of our correspondent for Marathi-speaking areas to gather feedback from farmers about the Safenet P3 event of March 27th 2009. The quality of this feedback is excellent, and shows a clear road ahead. Here are the main points raised by the farmers of Satara:

Safenet should be conducted in local languages, rather than in English.
Pollinators, predators, and parasites should be available easily, in the same manner as chemical pesticides.
Biological control practices must be developed separately for each crop because long-duration ones may respond to predators and parasites differently from effects reported in vegetables.
Pollinators, predators, and parasites should be demonstrated alive, rather than through digital images.
Safenet should be arranged as per local convenience, avoiding festival days.

These suggestions and ideas must be relevant for farmers everywhere. There is no time to lose in putting them to work.

Sunday, March 29th 2009

Will Convergence Take the Internet Further?

Safenet stands exposed. The March 27th 2009 event worked adequately on a video conferencing format. We may eventually succeed in making webcasting work as well. However, computer processor, bandwidth, and Internet literacy issues will persist.

Community Radio, in theory, offers an immediate solution. An FM receiver and a mobile handset in every village are feasible options. We may not be able to drum up adequate material to feed a 24*7 network, but the system can work in emergencies, and whenever individual queries need to be broadcast to entire communities.

Urban elite cannot shed their print media habits, so why should farmers be any different? Newspapers may be on their way out, but we cannot banish them altogether at this time. The Gramin Bimb of the Confederation of Community Based Organizations-India (CCBO) is an important medium in this respect.

Safety Brigade has established contact with an NGO that is associated with CCBO. It has the delightful name of Green Shrusti, and is based in Khariar in Orissa. Here is a link to a satellite image of the area.

Shri Biswajit Padhi runs Green Shrushti.

The NGO will soon start a Village Resource Center in association with the Indian Space Research Organization. Safety Brigade will work for a professional association with Green Shrushti. Watch this web page for further developments.

Saturday, March 28th 2009

Safenet is born

Farmers from all over India came together with scientists and regulators yesterday on the Safenet platform. The widespread interest in pollinators, predators, and parasites was an eye-opener. The stage is set for a revolution in biological pest control.

Safenet taught lessons to Safety Brigade as well. Video conferencing on dedicated communication lines works far better than webcasting on shared networks. Video conferencing calls for a new culture as well. We have to either wear brighter clothes or use specially colored backgrounds.

The Internet lets farmers interact directly with leading research workers. The path-breaking technology of developing pesticide-tolerant genotypes of beneficial insects has not received due exposure until now. Safenet has made a humble contribution to correcting this aberration.

A Safenet recording will be published shortly. Safety Brigade welcomes suggestions for improving this communication platform and felicitates the band of pioneers who worked selflessly to make it a reality.

Friday, March 27th 2009

Women and Pest Management

There are two kinds of agriculture in India: one in which women do most of the hard work, and the other in which they do all the work. The situation may be similar in most other countries.

Men take the credit in both kinds of agriculture. Decision-making powers and formal financial authorities also rest with them. Urban women have made significant strides in asserting their rights and independence. What about their sisters in villages?

Women should be at the vanguard of agricultural productivity. They are mentally more suited to sustainable methods of crop production than their macho men who cannot think beyond the present season. Women are also responsible for family issues, and are therefore better equipped to address safety matters.

Women can have no roles in the application of chemical pesticides. Carcinogenecity and mutagenicity are deadly risks. Possible effects on reproduction are not always adequately appreciated. Even knowledgeable regulators do not insist on proper warnings in this respect being put on labels that they approve.

All pest management need not be chemical. Women can take care of all biological pest control operations. This applies to pollination also. Each village should rear beneficial insects. Women have always looked after animals on farms. They also use bacterial cultures in their kitchens. That is why they respond so well to training inputs for rearing honeybees, predators, and parasites.

Honey production, pollination services, and biological pest control can liberate impoverished rural women. They can contribute to social development and become financially independent at the same time.

Safety Brigade dedicates today’s Safenet event to agrarian women all over the world. Please join our movement.

Thursday, March 26th 2009

Video-conferencing scores over webcasting

It is the eternal grace of God that made the Safenet rehearsal on March 25th 2009 a grand success. Safenet is a global Internet alliance for pesticide safety. The Center for the Environment and Agrochemicals is the principal organization behind Safenet. Safenet has received financial support from Excel Crop Care Limited. Safety Brigade has implemented the project with Pesticide Regulatory Affairs-India.

The rehearsal was held over 8 locations in India. Safety Brigade tried simultaneous webcasting, but it did not succeed because of hardware deficiencies and connectivity issues. Our dynamic webmaster will rectify these issues in time for the main event on Friday, March 27th 2009.

Reliance World has proved its mettle in conducting Safenet. Safety Brigade has no financial interest to disclose in endorsing Reliance World as the most effective and economical means of real-time communication over distant locations.

Farmers, regulators, and scientists can now come on a common platform for electronic extension work, thanks to Reliance World. It is a most engaging platform to deal with pesticide safety emergencies and with risk reduction in general.

Safety Brigade endorses Reliance World for all entities that need to communicate in real time, and to cut their costs at the same time.

Safety Brigade is especially grateful to Mr Himanshu Gaur of Reliance World Lucknow, and to the Reliance World personnel at all Safenet locations for making our endeavor a success

Wednesday, March 25th 2009

Perils of Organic Farming

Ketanbhai Jashbhai Patel is from Boria in Petlad Taluka of the Anand Distict of Gujarat. He is in the center of the picture below.

Here is a link to a satellite image of the area where Ketanbhai practices organic farming:

Ketanbhai grows organic banana. Indian bananas do not require many pesticides, so there is little difference in food safety terms between organic and other crop. Ketanbhai is a principal victim for he cannot get a market for his premium produce.

This is an example of how farmers can be misled in to organic farming. Many people who support such fads know little about banana agronomy and the metabolism of pesticides.

You can call Ketanbhai on 09825458529 if you fancy organic bananas. Write to us for a copy of the interview with him.

Tuesday, March 24th 2009

Secular Gurus

It is not possible to sing praises of the honeybee in any excess. Pollination and honey are two enduring benefits of these magnificent creatures. However, there is much for us to learn from their colony organization. Now, we find that spiritually-inclined people have also found inspiration from the ways in which honeybees go about their lives. Visit the following link:

http://anthonyuu.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/a-religion-of-the-honeybee/

Every honeybee deserves our protection. The phenomenon of Colony Collapse Disorder is no less serious than global warming. The precise reasons for the demise of untold numbers of honeybees are open to debate. However, that should not deter us from taking every possible step to conserve national honeybee resources.

Keeping pollen free of systemic insecticide residues is a vital step towards safeguarding pollination and honey production. Please vote for this change.

Monday, March 23rd 2009

Friend of the Farmer

We do not see of hear earthworms, but they are at our service around the clock. It is a pity that we spend good money on toxic soil insecticides such as Carbofuran and Phorate to kill our friends. Irresponsible abuse of pesticides is reprehensible. There are no controls or penalties to deter this terrible form of pollution.

Things have begun to change. Progressive farmers and diligent extension workers have joined hands to conserve earthworm populations. This makes for bumper yields and protects our vital natural resources. Earthworms make enormous contributions to soil health. They also facilitate healthy root growth.

Dr. Dilbagh Singh, ADO at Rohtak in Haryana is one of the people who is passionate about earthworms. He encourages all farmers to respect and to conserve earthworms, and has begun a number of pilot projects in the area under his charge. He is pictured below in front of an earthworm conservation unit with Mr Vipin Saini of Pesticide Regulatory Affairs-India.

Please write to us if you would like to establish contact with Dr Dilbagh Singh, and use earthworms to boost the production potential of your land.

Sunday, March 22nd 2009

Why Punjab Leads in Honeybee Numbers

The demonstration colony of honeybees was a big draw at the recent PAU Kisan Mela. Farmers and scientists evinced equal interests in getting help and advice to start colonies in villages.

The Punjab Agricultural University deserves principal credit for the massive development of the honey and pollination industries in the State. A drive along the national highway linking New Delhi with Amritsar shows that enterprising farmers use the Eucalyptus trees lining the route to rear honeybees. High awareness about the multifarious benefits of honeybees has helped Punjab maintain adequate levels of pollination. Honey is an enduring source of income as well. Laborers from other States find gainful employment in helping the farmers of Punjab produce honey.

The Punjab Agricultural University offers skill development programs for people interested in rearing honeybees. Retired scientists of the University also offer such services. They have done this for other States such as Karnataka. Dr B S Sohi is one such eminent person. Anyone who would like help to establish honeybees can reach Dr B S Sohi at the following address:

431 A Government College Road,
Civil Lines
Ludhiana
141001
Call: 91 161 2400926

Ludhiana is about 5 hours ahead of GMT.

Saturday, March 21st 2009

Recession Solution in Punjab

Farmers big and small gathered in thousands at the Kisan Mela of the Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana on the 19th and 20th of March 2009.

There were astounding arrays of agricultural technologies and services on display:

The most amazing spectacle was of farmers buying all the seeds offered by the University. Small farmers used their heads to carry the precious cargo, while large land-holders brought every vehicle in sight to grab the goods:

It is clear that the Punjab Agriculture University suffers from no recession. They cannot even cater to all the demands for their produce. Sardar Pavitarpal Singh Pangli, President of the Punjab Agricultural University Kisan Club was asked as to why farmers were so keen to get University seeds. He replied succinctly:

“We trust the University as much as our fathers”.

Friday, March 20th 2009

Award-Winning Farmer Has Cast His Vote

Sardar Charanjit Singh Gill is an award-winning farmer. He is from Sudhar village in Ludhiana (pincode 141104)

Here is a link to a satellite picture of the area.

Safety Brigade met with Sardar Charanjit Singh Gill at the stall of the PAU Kisan Club just before the inauguration of the 2009 fair at this famed University.

Sardar Charanjit Singh Gill displayed unusual sagacity in espousing the cause of beneficial insects. He spoke succinctly on how pollinators, predators, and parasites can be preserved, using Endosulfan instead of toxic pesticides.

You can listen to the interview in Hindi at the following link:

Please write and ask for a full transcript in English, Marathi, Telegu, Portuguese, or Spanish.

Sardar Charanjit Singh Gill produces vegetable seeds for a well-known label. You can reach him at 09417277280 for help with your crop production problems. (Please note, if you reside outside India, that Sardar Charanjit Singh Gill is about 5 hours ahead of GMT).

Thursday, March 19th 2009

Defiance of the Tiny

The Kinoo is a delicious fruit. This hybrid between two kinds of citrus trees is now a favorite with farmers all over North India. Many people are habituated to drink the juice with salt and sugar, but truthfully it has a wholesome flavor that needs no external support.

It seems from the picture above that thrips like kinoos as much as humans! The scars of their blade-like mouth-parts do more than visible damage. Sucking insects tend to harbor a variety of viruses, and there is always the danger of contamination.

Thrips are best controlled by predators. Crops with extensive skin damage indicate that beneficial insects have been destroyed in orchards. All kinoo farmers should consider rearing predators to keep thrips at bay. It is also important to restrict foliar applications of systemic insecticides.

Post-harvest operations receive scant attention in India. The focus is on rodents alone, though microbes actually cause greater losses for farmers. It is not a matter of efficacy alone, but of human safety as well. Fruits are consumed by children and by women of child-bearing ages. It is vital to control pesticide residues in fruits. We enjoy them raw so pesticide residues will not degrade by the heat of cooking.

Do you have solutions to keep fruits safe from thrip damage and from pesticide residues at the same time? Let beneficial insects show the way. Write and let us know if you would like to rear predators of sucking pests.

Wednesday, March 18th 2009

Trissur Paddy-Rice is Special in Many Ways

Living below mean sea level is no easy matter. However, the hardy farmers of Trissur in Kerala take such challenges in their strides. They allow rain water to stand and to contribute to soil fertility. Then they take yields no less than forty times the seeds they sow, once the monsoon withdraws.

The average land-holding in this verdant landscape is less than an acre. Farm labor is scarce and amongst the most expensive in India. The farmers resort to fish-farming during the monsoons. They also have elaborate drainage systems to prepare their fields for crop production during the last quarter of each calendar year. The cooperative movement is durable in these parts: associations of farmers take key agronomic decisions.

The farmers took a landmark decision about a decade ago: no more toxic chemical pesticides. They now use egg parasites, useful microbes, and herbal extracts. The foul smell of the past has disappeared. The ecology has improved. The farmers are healthy and happy.

It is worth visiting Trissur to see biological pest management in action, but you can also use this link to save time: Trissur

Tuesday, March 17th 2009

Distress for Andhra Pradesh Vegetable Farmers

Perhaps you are fortunate to use the luxurious international airport at Hyderabad often. The terminal is situated in the midst of a once-verdant belt of Southern India. Iron, steel, glass, and aircraft have replaced grape vines, and a host of nutritious vegetables.

The ladies in the picture were so furious that we had to slink away. The man on the right with his hand on his waist is a wholesaler. He offered the ladies 30 paise per kilo of tomatoes. This was at Shamshabad, less than an hour’s drive from Hyderabad, where tomatoes retailed for about Rs 8 per kilo on the same day.

Farmers displaced by the international airport have been left on their own. You have a choice of taxis and buses when you land at the airport, but farmers cannot escape exploitation by traders. They have no storage facilities. Their produce loses color and value by the hour.

Write if you would like to know more or care to help our farm families.

Monday, March 16th 2009

Pass Laws to Protect Beneficial Insects

This is the view of the Head of the Kisan Club of the Punjab Agricultural University, Sardar Pangli, pictured above outside his office.

No wonder that Punjabis rule agriculture! The Punjab Agriculture University is a leading institution of India. The State is a granary without parallel.

Beneficial insects are being decimated. They deserve our protection. It is not just altruistic. We cannot enjoy food security without protecting pollinators, parasites, and predators.

Ask for a free link to listen to the revolutionary ideas of Sardar Pangli.

Sunday, March 15th 2009

Achilles Heel in Logistics

Reputed corporations have elaborate safety and security systems within their own premises. What happens when goods are in the hands of others?

Storage and transport by unknown third parties pose great dangers to brands and the public alike. Casual and unskilled personnel may be unaware of the hazards of goods they manage and handle. Even emergency personnel may not know what to do in the event of an accident.

Children are naturally curious. They use an accident as an occasion for exploration, novelty, and something to explore. Large numbers of people gather at an accident site in seconds.

Protect your business and society as well from risks connected with the outsourced storage and transport of small consignments of your goods.

Ask today for a proposal.

Saturday, March 14th 2009

A Time to Copy North America

Swathes of poor people across the globe struggle to counter 21st century expressions of western colonial powers. However, even the most radical of revolutionaries will not grudge support for noble causes. Protection for pollinators is one such movement.

Nutrition for the earth’s population is simply impossible without pollination. Honeybees are amongst the most industrious agents of nature. The organization within a colony is a marvel for the most accomplished human being. Honey is an emancipating source of additional revenue for impoverished farmers.

Everyone in the world stands to gain if we conserve honeybees.

All is not well on this front. Colony Collapse Disorder has wiped out honeybee colonies all over North America and Europe. Italy, France, Germany, and an important retailer in the U.K. have moved to ban systemic insecticides during flowering. This is a crucial step for the conservation of honeybees. Now, North America has joined the movement:

http://action.panna.org/t/5185/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=668

Honeybees need your support no matter which color your passport may have. Colony Collapse Disorder knows no territorial boundaries of politics. Systemic insecticides are made and marketed by global corporations. They can spread pesticide abuse to any part of earth. Your support for honeybee conservation is vital in every sense of the term. Please act today.

Wednesday, February 25th 2009

Expositions for Customer Engagement and Safety

Uttar Pradesh is so large that it could easily be another country in spatial and demographic terms. Reaching out to customers all over the State is a major challenge in terms of logistics. Mainstream media offer solutions, but they are affordable only for large organizations.

Expositions are cost-effective alternatives to engage customers. This medium has been used for both urban and rural consumers for a number of years. Most rural areas have systems of weekly markets where farmers converge in large numbers. Professionally-managed expositions, like the one pictured below, allow manufacturers and marketers to display sophisticated products such as agricultural machinery and drip irrigation equipment.

The recent U.P. Agri Expo 2009 was organized by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD). The Director was present in person with a large team. Here is a link to the organization’s website:

http://card.org.in/

Expositions require professional skills for best results. Visitors and exhibitors may not realize how much work goes in to making all the detailed arrangements to ensure enthusiastic responses from target customers. Farmers from remote areas and women cannot participate unless they have secure and convenient travel arrangements.

The U.P. Agri Expo was organized very well. Farm families enjoyed their outings, and collected valuable inputs on modern farming practices. There were composite arrangements for B2B events for exhibitors.

Safenet seeks to conduct an exposition in a Web 2.0 format. Get details now and join in the Global Internet Alliance for the Safe and Judicious Use of Pesticides.

February 24th 2009

The Safety Mantra to Fight Recession

The U.P. Agri Expo for 2009 was held at a new location. The sprawling ground of the Sugarcane Research Institute has its advantages, but many veterans thought that farmers would stay away, given the rather remote site in the State capital of Lucknow.

The photographs below show that the meeting area was full for the session hosted by Excel Crop Care Limited. Notice the splendid sprinkling of women in the late-afternoon gathering.

The session was lively and highly interactive. There were no signs of economic slowdown, leave-alone recession here. The talk was all about just two subjects: safety and customer service. It was an educative demonstration for all corporations that suffer from slack demand.

The professional team that conducted this meeting praised their corporate management, especially the Vice-President Marketing, who has provided consistent support and training inputs.

Listen to an excerpt of the proceedings at the link below, to get a flavor of how top companies use safety for superior customer service:

http://safetybrigade.podbean.com/2009/02/22/eccl-up-agri-expo-2009-grover/

The meeting was conducted in the national language of Hindi. Ask for a transcript in any other language of your choice.

Monday, February 23rd 2009

Safety is All about People

It is easy to choose the neatest warehouse in the Transport Nagar of Lucknow. One could be biased as a former employee of the company that owns the stocks, but the clean appearance stands out amongst its less-tended neighbors.

Not everything is perfect inside. There is always room for improvement, and the team that works here. Listen to the suggestions at the link below:

http://safetybrigade.podbean.com/2009/02/22/eccl-lucknow-warehouse/

It is not easy to maintain high safety standards in Lucknow. General awareness of chemical hazards is poor. Infrastructure is rudimentary, and cannot be relied upon to work exactly as needed. Long hours are involved, and only an Army discipline will do to keep operations rolling in all kinds of weather.

Ashok Kumar Singh, pictured on the left above, is tough but fair. He has the MSDS file close at hand, and stays on top of an incredible amount of safety information. His ideas for better packaging should give food for thought to the most experienced engineer.

Safety is not just for people, but achieved by them as well. A professional logistics team is invaluable, because how else can you move and store any goods? These people stay out of the limelight, but the values they deliver, cannot be substituted by any means.

Teams such as the one pictured above, are not to be taken for granted. It takes years of training, and close coordination on daily bases to get a system up and running to even minimal standards.

Safety systems and skills can beat a recession hands down. It is not enough to envy corporations that have reliable logistics chains. Build one that keeps your products from harm, and exactly where they are needed on time, and within mean cost targets.