Aim To Raise Spraying Standards

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31161, 10 September 1966, Page 10

Aim To Raise Spraying Standards

On the basis of a conference held in Wellington this week it apears as though agricultural chemical applicators contractors who apply agricultural chemicals from the ground—are very much behind the idea of a course for operators and also some means of qualification or registration of operators.

The meeting was attended by 75 chemical applicators from one end of the country to the other and consideration of a proposed correspondence course in agricultural pesticides was one of the key issues before the conference which was opened by the Director-General of Agriculture, Mr D. N. R. Webb, who emphasised the need for maintaining the highest standards of efficiency in the industry.

The guest speaker was Mr F. B. Thompson', superintendent of agricultural chemicals for the Department of Agriculture, who outlined the course being prepared by the New Zealand Technical Correspondence Institute for the Agricultural Chemicals Board. He said that the aim was to promote the safe, efficient and legal use of pesticides.

Although the present proposals were that the course would be entirely voluntary, the intention was that it

should receive the support of all engaged in the industry. Mr L. G. Wilson, assistant general secretary of the New Zealand Contractors’ Federation, said after the meeting that during the discussion and questions that followed Mr Thompson’s address it was very apparent that those present supported the course and would support any action by the Department of Agriculture to ensure some means of qualification or registration for all agricultural chemical applicators. An item in a recent issue of the Department of Agriculture’s newsletter notes that agricultural pilots must

pass an examination to qualify for a chemical rating before they are permitted to apply agricultural chemicals from aircraft Concern has been expressed that there is no comparable examination requirement for ground applicators of agricultural chemicals, says the annual report of the Agricultural Chemicals Board. It has been suggested to the board that much of the damage to crops from chemicals has been caused by applications made by inexperienced operators.

The Department of Education, at the board’s request

and with its co-operation, has been preparing a correspondence course. The board hopes that operators will avail themselves of this. The Wellington meeting was presided over by Mr A. R. Tarr, general secretary of the New Zealand Contractors’ Federation. The meeting decided that members of the New Zealand Agricultural Chemical Applicators’ Association should seek membership of the Contractors’ Federation and that the federation should be responsible for the administration and direction of agricultural chemical applicators’ affairs.