HYDERABAD, June 2: About 5,000 cotton growers will be trained in integrated pest management (IPM) technology at 150 farmers’ field schools in different districts of the province.

This was said by a spokesman for the Directorate of Agriculture Information and Training in a statement issued here on Monday.

The spokesman said over 55 farmers’ groups in Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Naushahro Feroze, Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki and Dadu districts would also be given training during 2003. In addition to this, 14 women farmers’ open schools in the Khairpur district would continue to train rural women and farm workers in self-monitoring and risk reduction.

He said 36 women IPM facilitators were trained last year who provided training to 251 women farm workers with emphasis on how to avoid exposure to pesticides.

He said the IPM programme, aiming at reduction in use of pesticides, was being implemented in Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan, Philippines and Vietnam. Under the programme, a cadre of IPM facilitators would be developed from the staff of the agriculture extension and plant protection who would educate farmers in efficient cotton production at farmers’ field schools.

The spokesman said the European Union and the Asian Development Bank had provided funds for implementation of the project in Pakistan.

He said the IPM programme was launched in April 2001 in Sakrand and Khairpur districts and in 2002 it was extended to Sukkur, Naushahro Feroze, Sanghar, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas districts in Sindh and to Bahawalpur in Punjab.

He said so far three training courses for IPM facilitators had been organized and 96 facilitators and about 3,000 farmers had been trained in Sindh.

The spokesman said the IPM programme had prepared a development scheme worth Rs374.381 million and submitted it to the federal government for approval so that the programme was consolidated and expanded to other areas.

He pointed out that pesticide consumption in the country had increased from 665 tons in 1980 to over 47,000 tons in 2001, of which 60 per cent was used on cotton crop.

He said indiscriminate use of chemicals had led to many pest outbreaks and proved hazardous to human health and environment.

Ombudsman: The schedule of Sindh Ombudsman Haziqul Khairi’s camping at the Hyderabad circuit house has been changed and he will now camp at the circuit house on June 4 where he will listen to complaints of people.

Inauguration ceremony of the Ombudsman’s regional office in Mirpurkhas has also been postponed and will now be held on June 5 at the local circuit house.