Suiting up for Safety
In July of 2016, La Semilla Ministries signed a memorandum of agreement with TECHNOSERVE, an American non-profit focused on agriculture development. Our mutual goal is to see an improved level of production of sorghum in the Carazo, Managua, and Rivas departments, basically the Pacific southwest region of the country. The reasoning is multi faceted:
- This geographic zone is subject to periodic drought. Sorghum is fairly drought tolerant, therefore a reduced risk for our producers.
- Reduced risk for our producers mans reduced risk for the credit that the ministry extends for purchase of seed and crop protection products.
- Sorghum is a crop rotation option, separate from beans, which will, in the long run, lead to more sustainable agriculture income.
- A more consistent supply of sorghum for industrial use will lead to less reliance on imported feed grains and a stronger national ag sector.
As we’ve rolled out the official sorghum program “IMPULSOR”, a main objective has been to provide technical assistance to our producers. We’ve hired more staff to do this monthly in each of the 12 communities where we currently have sorghum production. These are hands-on training sessions where producers learn the important production steps of the current period, and have opportunity to practically apply their new knowledge.
In training module #3, we tackled the production problem of late season insecticide applications. Although personal protective equipment is important in whichever growth stage of the crop, it is even more pertinent when the crop is more than a meter tall. The challenge is that for our small producers, all crop protection products are applied with back-pack sprayers. LOTS OF REFILLS OF BACK-PACK SPRAYERS! We want producers to be safe and protect their health, so we’re promoting the purchase of, and use of gear including:
- A rain suit
- Rubber boots
- Neoprene gloves
- Active-carbon filter mask
- Eye protection goggles
Great! Problem is, the cost, roughly US$60, is currently out of reach for most of our producers, which means they will cut corners on safety. I know cutting corners on safety is sounding like a bad idea……so…..will you help us? This would make a great Christmas gift, right? Please consider this need as you celebrate Christmas this year. You can click here to begin the donation process, suggested at CDN$100 to cover the complete cost of providing this valuable tool.
