Issue 2 (January 12th thru 18th, 1998), Vol.VIII
Mohammed Al-Ghashm:
"Absence of legislation
allowed dangerous plant diseases
and lethal pesticides
to enter the country unchecked."
Yemeni
farmers have been faced with increasingly new and problematic situations.
One reason for this is the introduction of new diseases, often imported
through either individuals or businessmen. One of the key persons to help
Yemeni farmers address this challenge is Dr. Mohammed Yahya Al-Ghashm,
Head of the General Directorate of Plant Protection at the Ministry of
Agriculture and Irrigation. With an M.Sc. in the prevalent plant diseases
and a Ph.D. in biological sciences, Al-Ghashm, 50, wrote extensively on
plant diseases and how to combat them, the use of pesticides, and other
important issues of agricultural concern. He is also a member of the General
Authority of Agricultural Research and Guidance.
Despite lack of publicity, the importance of Dr. Al-Ghashm's work
cannot be overemphasized. With its ever growing population, Yemen will
increasingly need to produce more food for its people. Producing good-quality,
diseases and pesticide-free vegetables, fruits, and cereals is the responsibility
of people like Dr. Al-Ghashm.
Dr. Al-Ghashm talked to Dr. Salah Haddash, who filed the following
interview. Excerpts:
Q: What are the tasks of the General Directorate
of Plant Protection ?
A: The Ministry of Agriculture
and Irrigation is entrusted with the major task of protecting crops from
diseases. For this purpose, the General Directorate of Plant Protection
(GDPP) was established.
The GDPP is assigned the task of drawing the necessary plans and suggesting
the relevant legislations needed to organize the process of plant protection
against diseases. It also has to follow-up and monitor the implementations
of such rules and regulations. The ultimate goal is, of course, to increase
crop yield, improve its quality, and protect the environment from pesticide-caused
pollution.
Q: What are the activities of the GDPP?
A: On the national level, there
are 340 people involved in various activities related to plant protection.
Of those people, 118 work in the GDPP's various departments and laboratories.
We have three Ph.D., six M.Sc., and 31 B.Sc. holders, 33 technicians, and
the rest work in the workshop, the farm, and the administration.
The GDPP consists of five departments: pesticides, plant quarantine,
integrated disease combating, plant protection services, and the Center
to Monitor and Combat Locusts. The GDPP often conducts national campaigns.
Q: What are the GDPP achievements and future plans?
A:
Through financial support provided by the GTZ of Germany, and the Japanese,
the Dutch and the Yemeni governments, the GDPP has been able to establish
the following:
- two laboratories to diagnose plant pests and diseases;
- a laboratory to breed biopredators;
- a laboratory to analyze and control the quality of pesticides;
- a laboratory to detect plant viruses;
- a workshop to produce audio-visuals;
- a library;
- a maintenance workshop; and
- a training center for agricultural guides.
Other GDPP achievements include the following:
* a list of 623 pesticides, diseases, and harmful weeds;
* a list of 90 natural bio-predators;
* a list of 43 licensed pesticides;
* a list of 120 prohibited bio-predators;
* 23 studies and researches on plant protection;
* producing 10,152 explanatory posters, leaflets, and slides;
* short and long-term training courses for 40 staff members;
* training and instructing up to 1,770 agricultural guides, farmers,
and pesticide retailers;
* a number of successful national campaigns to combat cotton diseases,
desert locusts, black aphids, mildew, and other diseases;
* preparing the plant quarantine and use-of-pesticides projects;
* integrated disease combating and environmental protection through
breeding the natural predator of the black aphid, the pauesia antennata;
* disposing of 262 tons of expired pesticides, which have accumulated
over the last five decades, by transporting them to be incinerated in the
UK with the aid of the Dutch government;
* signing the international convention on plant protection;
* signing the international agreement on pesticides; and
* signing the agreement on the transport and handling of dangerous
material.
The GDPP future plans include the following:
- implementing the project of integrated plant disease combating, with
aid from the Dutch government;
- establishing a laboratory to determine the effects of the residual
pesticides left in various agricultural crops;
- establishing plant quarantine centers at the country's air and seaports
and land gateways;
- issuing and implementing laws to regulate plant quarantine and the
handling of pesticides; and
- establishing special systems to monitor and predict the onset of
plant diseases.
Q: What are the major sources of GDPP funding?
A: The Ministry of Agriculture
receives a lot of aid from the GTZ, which has been with us for more than
two decades. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), through its Technical
Cooperation Program (TCP), has supported many small, short-term projects
in the field of plant quarantines and locusts fighting.
The Japanese government has provided a lot of equipment, tools, protective
clothing, etc, to help with the process of combating plant diseases. The
Dutch government also helped combat black aphids in Yemen, so did the ODA
of Britain and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development in combating
desert locusts. The Islamic Bank had also provided some means to combat
locusts during one stage of the process.
Q: What sort of problems do you face?
A: The climatic diversity in Yemen
has made it possible for different kinds of plant diseases and pests to
thrive all year round. This, of course, makes our job more demanding.
The absence of relevant legislation to regulate plant and pesticide
imports has allowed several dangerous plant diseases and expired or lethal
pesticides to enter the country unchecked.
Due to limited funds for plant protection schemes, the use of modern
plant protection methods somewhat beyond reach. Also, the agricultural
administrative structures in their present state make it difficult to follow
a comprehensive, long-term strategy for plant protection.
To add insult to injury, the absence of a proper system of health care
and insurance makes people work even in hazardous jobs such as dealing
with pesticides. This is our fate for the foreseeable future.
Q: To what extent do Yemeni farmers cooperate
with your programs?
A: Farmers play a big role in the
success of any plant protection scheme. There is no doubt about that. They
all fully recognize the danger and the big potential losses if the plant
diseases are not combated. They also know the only way out is through the
proper administering of pesticides within well-coordinated, scientifically
based plant protection programs.
Q: How do you draw your plans for large-scale
plant protection programs?
A: Plant protection programs are
drawn according to priorities. The extent of the potential danger of a
particular plant disease is taken as a fundamental criterion in implementing
our programs.
We aim to constantly develop plant protection measures and methods
in accordance with world progress in this field.
Other factors include addressing the requirements of national development,
environmental considerations, and living up to the relevant regional/international
agreements and conventions.
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