Agricultural management systems and technologies
Pest management
Invasive caterpillar threatens Mekong Delta coconut ‘kingdom’
Some 150 hectares (370 acres) of coconut groves in Ben Tre Province have been damaged by a caterpillar species endemic to India and Sri Lanka. In mid-March trunks of dead coconut trees could be seen scattered along either side of National Highway 60 in Chau Thanh ...
Hoang Nam
Thailand’s ban on hazardous farming chemicals to remain in place
Despite fears to the contrary among those in favour of it, the ban on paraquat and chlorpyrifos is to remain in place. The Hazardous Substances Committee has confirmed that production, possession, and importing or exporting either substance remains illegal, under legislation introduced on June 1 of this ...
Maya Taylor
Locust swarm from China ravages northern Vietnam bamboo forests, corn fields
A locust swarm from China has been destroying bamboo forests and corn fields in Dien Bien Province in northern Vietnam since last week. The yellow-spined bamboo locust (Ceracris kiangsu) swarm, which has an estimated 100-400 individuals per square meter, devoured bamboo leaves in 20 ha of ...
Tat Dinh
Farmers given 90 days to hand in chemicals
Manufacturers or importers of hazardous agrochemicals paraquat and chlorpyrifos — which are banned under Thai law — have 270 days to destroy their stock while a 90-day deadline has also been given to farmers to return the chemicals for destruction as their possession is considered ...
APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
Thai rice farmers shun pesticides and fight climate change
Battling drought, debt and ailments blamed on pesticides, rice farmers in northern Thailand have turned to eco-friendly growing methods despite powerful agribusiness interests in a country that is one of the top exporters of the grain in the world. Walking through a sea of green waist-high ...
ADB, Lao PDR sign agreement to enhance sanitary, phytosanitary management systems
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) signed an agreement on 13 November for a $10 million grant as additional financing for a project that will enhance Lao PDR’s sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity, and improve ...
The FINANCIAL Reporter
Myanmar can raise value, volume of agriculture exports by going organic
Myanmar has potential to develop an organic market that will help to boost the value of local crops produced for export purposes and farmers’ standards of living. In fact, farmers in Myanmar already use less chemical fertilisers and pesticides compared to their neighbours, yet many are ...
240 spots contaminated with pesticides remain in VN
Việt Nam still has 240 pesticide-contaminated locations in 15 localities, causing serious and extremely serious pollution, according to the 2016 National Environmental Report.Keep reading ...
Call to limit imports, use of chemicals in agriculture
Imports of farming chemicals should be restricted to ensure food safety for the public, a social forum in Bangkok featuring government ministers proposed this week.Keep reading ...
Đà Nẵng to up use of organic fertiliser
The central city of Đà Nẵng plans to increase the use of liquid fertiliser made from organic waste in its farms and public gardens, a local official said. Speaking at a review of a three-year (2015-2017) project on recycling organic waste last week, Nguyễn Phú ...