Dominica joins the rest of the world in celebrating Pesticide Awareness Week. The week is geared at raising awareness of the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment and human life.

Chemist at the Botanical Gardens Agricultural Unit, Annamary Seraphine Alexander, said that there is a need for persons to use Personal Protection Devices such as overalls, caps, and gloves to protect the body from harmful substances.

Further, she said that farmers need to return to cultural practices such as crop rotation which would limit dependence on pesticides. She also encouraged farmers to use alternatives to pesticides.

This year’s theme is ‘Building Awareness and Capacity for a Healthy Nation through the Proper Management of Pesticides and Promoting Alternatives’.