[farmer writer] Xiao Chenglong / solid herbicide has an impact on domestic red beans, don't forget that he has worked hard for transformation, not for temporary convenience to affect the future of the industry.

0 sharing

Editor's note: this article is contributed by farmers, and the content is written independently by farmers, while the small standard is increased by the editors of "upstream and downstream".

Wen / Xiao Chenglong, the third monitor of miscellaneous grain (red bean) production and marketing class in Meinong District, Kaohsiung City.

We are farmers in the miscellaneous grain (red bean) production and marketing class of the Meinong Peasant Association. Recently, the government expects to open up fixed weeds as a defoliant for red beans. We believe that this is extremely disadvantageous to Taiwan's red bean farmers and red bean industry chain. The government keeps saying that opening up fixed weeds is suggested by local farmers, but the government has forgotten the efforts made in recent years to transform and reverse the trust of red beans. Unexpectedly cooperate with the inappropriate habits of some farmers and act cheaply and deceive their conscience!

Appeal to the government and a small number of farmers not to be short-sighted and short-sighted, causing long-term harm. I am the third monitor of the miscellaneous grain (red bean) production and marketing class of Meinong Peasant Association. The following is my opinion for your reference.

Taking the stick from his father, Xiao Chenglong has been growing red beans for six years, all of which are harvested in a non-herbicide way. (photo courtesy of Xiao Chenglong) forced to ban paraquat farmers to strive to transform domestic red beans to see the dawn of some farmers for private use.

Red bean is one of the most popular edible agricultural products in Taiwan, and Gaoping area is the largest producing area in Taiwan. Before paraquat was banned, red bean farmers would generally use paraquat as a defoliant, because spraying paraquat can quickly dry red bean leaves and plants in a short period of time, so as to facilitate harvesting by bean harvesters and remove weeds in the fields. Piley next-stage farming and reduce field weeds, save time and cost.

Among the many herbicides, paraquat is cheap, powerful and has the least impact on the environment. Such an easy-to-use defoliant is loved by the broad masses of farmers. Why is it forbidden by the government? The main reason is that once those who drink by mistake or commit suicide take it, the process will be painful and it will be very difficult to save their lives. Therefore, under the strong outcry of the medical profession, the government banned it despite the strong opposition of red bean farmers or other farmers.

In order to comply with government regulations, farmers can only swallow bitter water and use other safe alternative materials or defoliant, such as sodium chlorate, nonanoic acid, urea (potassium chloride, ammonium sulfate) and salt to harvest red beans. However, some farmers did not have time or could not adapt to the new practice. When paraquat could not be used, they turned their minds to another herbicide, which was used as a defoliant before red bean harvest. Although this method can be close to the effect of paraquat, it ignores the food safety rights and interests of consumers.

Xiao Chenglong called on farmers not to be impatient, wait until the red bean plants begin to age before using urea (potassium chloride, ammonium sulfate) to add salt (photo courtesy of Xiao Chenglong) Meinong Peasants Association and farmers work together to slowly adapt to the days without paraquat.

Our production and marketing class, under the leadership of Zhong Qinghui, director general of the Peasants' Association, has tried its best to promote non-herbicide defoliation since 103 / 104, including sodium chlorate, nonanoic acid, urea (potassium chloride, ammonium sulfate) and other ways to harvest red beans. In order to enhance the brand reputation of domestic red beans, we farmers even pay a drug testing deposit of 3000 yuan to the farmers' association to show our position on safe harvesting. As long as the peasant association passes the drug test, the deposit will be refunded, and the unqualified will be confiscated by the peasant association.

In the first year, the farmers' association contracted with farmers with an area of about 55 hectares, with less than 40 farmers, and most other farmers still used paraquat as a defoliant. In order to promote the brand image of Meinong safe red beans, farmers' associations continue to educate and train farmers and increase the purchase amount to encourage farmers. by the season of 108 / 109, the area has increased to 290 hectares, with more than 300 contracted farmers.

In recent years, many farmers also want to join the ranks of contracts, but the proportion of the original contracts renewed by farmers is very high, coupled with the limited number of purchases and subsidies made by peasant associations, people always rush to get to the venue ahead of time to line up for numbers. But even so, farmers who are willing to join may not be able to get what they want.

The work of the contract is complicated and farmers are willing to be known gradually by domestic red beans.

After the farmers signed a contract with the farmers, and before the farmers planted red beans, the Meinong Peasants' Association regularly held one or two workshops to educate farmers on rational fertilization, safe use of drugs, and safe harvesting. Farmers must also inform the extension unit to sample in the field before harvest and check whether farmers have harvested red beans in accordance with the regulations. After the red beans are harvested, the staff of the peasant association will hang the names of the contracted farmers on the space bag and check and track them after Lear.

Why do the above-mentioned educational measures and complicated regulations during the planting period still attract farmers to participate? First of all, the Meinong Peasant Association is willing to buy red beans from the deed farmers at a price higher than the purchase price; second, the Meinong Peasant Association will coordinate the rice nursery farmers to reserve enough seedlings for the red bean farmers to ensure the planting of rice in the next season; third, if the contract farmers have the ability to sell on their own (network), this cultivation method will also help to strengthen customers' recognition of farmers and agricultural products.

With the assistance of the Kaohsiung Agricultural Reform Farm, the Meinong Peasant Association and farmers have worked hard for six years. So far, more than 70% of the farmers have switched to urea (potassium chloride, ammonium sulfate) and salt to harvest red beans. For red bean farmers who do not comply with government regulations and are regulated by the peasant association, the Meinong Peasant Association does not buy the red beans they produce. From this we can see that under the concept of peasant associations and farmers as gatekeepers for consumers' food safety, although the ban on paraquat has caused temporary inconvenience, in the long run, it does have a significant effect on protecting the environment and ecology, protecting consumers' food safety, and improving the domestic red bean industry chain.