THE INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND PESTICIDES AND TOXIC CHEMICALS LABORATORY (PTCL)
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through its Agriculture Export Diversification Programme under the component aimed at strengthening and consolidating agriculture health and food safety services in Guyana has allocated funding for the development of the PTCL. The PTCL intends to use this money to enhance both its quality and residual analyses capabilities. The desired equipment and materials were already presented to the programme’s executing agency and the process of procurement has begun.
One of the major pieces of equipment to be acquired is a High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC), which would be used to identify and quantify pesticide residues. It is a very powerful analytical tool that is able to detect very small concentrations and a wide variety of chemical compounds. This would be important not only to safeguard consumer health but also to facilitate the trade requirements of export markets. Read more
Public Awareness News & Development
The Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board commenced its training programme for the year 2009 during the month of January. The objectives of the training were to enlighten and demonstrate to participants across the country the role of the Board as it relates to pesticides in Guyana and the safe and effective use and management of pesticides.
The trainings targeted farmers and farmhands within the sugar, rice and other crops sectors in regions 2, 3,4,5,6 and 10. Participants were exposed to the safe techniques of handling, transporting, storing, spraying and disposal of Pesticides. Read More
Coordinating Group of Pesticides Control Boards Meeting
Guyana will be hosting the 14th Meeting of the Coordinating Group of Pesticides Control Boards of the Caribbean, which will be held on 22nd – 26th June, 2009 at the Buddy’s Princess Hotel. This is the first meeting hosted by Guyana who became a member of the Group (CGPC) in 2001.
The five day meeting will be held under the theme “Improving Pesticides Management in the Caribbean through Public Awareness and Effective Implementation Strategies” and examines the development and constraints experienced in pesticides management in the region and attempts to derive solutions based on experiences of member countries. Read More

