As crop protection options evolve and regulatory requirements change, farmers need more than just experience to apply agricultural chemicals safely. CropLife South Africa explains why training, responsible management, and collective responsibility are crucial.
Agricultural chemicals play a critical role in protecting crops, ensuring yields, and supporting food production. As crop protection technologies, regulatory standards, and safety requirements continue to change, continuous training helps farmers and their teams stay informed, strengthen responsible practices, and maintain the long-term availability of these indispensable tools.
For Quade Sing Jam, Head of Responsible Management at CropLife South Africa, responsible use is a shared obligation that covers the entire farm. From selecting and storing products to their safe application and proper disposal of containers—every stage offers an opportunity to protect people, crops, and the environment.
He notes: 'Many people have worked with agricultural chemicals for years but have never undergone formal training.' This can lead to gaps in understanding hazard communication rules, label interpretation, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), emergency response procedures, and container disposal.
On the Food For Mzansi podcast Farmer’s Inside Track, Sing Jam and Elriza Theron, Strategic Partnerships and Operations Manager at CropLife South Africa, emphasized the need to extend responsible use across the entire farm—from product selection and storage to application and subsequent disposal.
According to Sing Jam, responsible use aims to protect people, crops, and the environment while preserving the future efficacy of crop protection products. He explains: 'It means ensuring the correct selection, handling, and storage of agricultural chemicals, as well as responsible management of every subsequent step, from mixing and application to disposal, throughout the product's life cycle.'
This responsibility extends beyond the person who mixes or sprays the product. Everyone involved in obtaining, storing, transporting, applying, or disposing of agricultural chemicals plays a role.
One of the most vital tools available to farmers and farm workers is the label, which is present on every product container. Sing Jam asserts: 'The label is one of the most important tools available to anyone working with an agricultural chemical. And, as we always say, the label is the law.'
The label contains legally significant information, including application rates, precautions, first aid measures, environmental warnings, and PPE requirements. However, habit can breed complacency, especially if a person has been using the same product for years.
Sing Jam warns that labels and formulations can change, even if the product name remains the same. A new formulation can affect dosage rates, and updated regulatory requirements or safety information can alter application instructions.
He cautions: 'If you don't read the label, you cannot rely on outdated information instead of the most current guidelines available to you on the label.'
Farmers and workers must pay close attention to hazard warnings and symbols, usage instructions, application rates and timings, protective equipment requirements, first aid instructions, environmental precautions, and storage conditions.
Safe storage and disposal of containers also require attention, especially in areas where children, animals, and the environment may be at risk.
Personal protective equipment is another area where simply having the right gear is not enough. Workers must understand what is required for a specific product, when it needs to be worn, how it should fit, and how to maintain it.
Farmers and managers must ensure that workers have properly quality equipment and understand how to inspect, clean, and store it. Damaged gloves, torn overalls, or contaminated equipment can cease to provide the protection for which they are intended.
Spare equipment must also be available when necessary. Therefore, training is crucial so that workers know how to properly use protective gear, rather than viewing it as just another requirement to tick off on paper.
Responsible use also implies knowing what to do if something goes wrong. Sing Jam believes that every farm should have an emergency preparedness plan that is understandable to workers. This includes knowing where to find emergency information, where first aid kits are stored, who the first responders are, and how to manage spills, accidental exposure, and decontamination.
Spill kits are only useful if people know how to use them. Similarly, emergency response procedures must be accessible, and workers must know whom to contact for help. Farmers must also identify local rescuers and ensure they are aware of the activities taking place on the farm.
This confidence is achieved through preparation and practice. Knowing the correct response before an incident can help workers act more effectively and reduce the consequences of an accident.
Responsible use does not end after spraying is complete. Empty containers, residual materials, and other waste must be managed according to applicable regulations. Treating containers as regular trash or failing to follow proper disposal procedures can create environmental risks and opportunities for improper reuse.
Theron and Sing Jam stress that management must cover the entire lifecycle of the agricultural chemical—from selection to disposal.
To help bridge these knowledge gaps, CropLife South Africa offers the 'Responsible Use of Agricultural Chemicals: Trainer Training' course. The program is designed to provide participants with practical knowledge that they can share with colleagues, helping responsible practices become part of daily farm operations.
Theron says the idea is that training shouldn't stop with the person who attended the course. She explains: 'There can be several people on a farm involved in obtaining, storing, mixing, applying, and disposing of these products, and it is not enough for only one person to understand the requirements if the rest of the team does not have the same knowledge.'
The course covers regulatory framework, hazard communication, safe handling, PPE, emergency response, waste management, and container disposal. Successful participants gain access to learning materials they can use to disseminate information to their teams.
The course costs 400 Rand, excluding VAT, with the fee intended to cover running expenses. Considering the time constraints faced by farmers, CropLife South Africa has made the course available online and self-paced. Participants are given three months to complete the modules, although those who prefer can finish sooner. Assessments are conducted after the modules, and successful participants receive a certificate valid for three years.
Theron urges farmers to view responsible use as a team responsibility, not just something for the person applying the product. Managers and supervisors influence work procedures, equipment availability, instructions, and oversight. Staff involved in storage, transport, and waste management also require training tailored to their roles.
The trainer training model offers a practical way to spread this knowledge in the workplace.
There is a broader reason to take responsible use seriously: the future availability of crop protection products. Theron points out that developing and registering new crop protection solutions is a complex, time-consuming process. If products are used irresponsibly, and risks to human health and the environment are not properly managed, these products may face restrictions or potentially lose their market position.
She states: 'If we lose an important tool, we cannot assume that another will be available tomorrow to replace it.'
Thus, responsible use is not just about individual compliance. It also supports the sustainability and viability of the agricultural sector.
Sing Jam reminds farmers that knowledge must keep pace with changing products, regulations, and safety expectations. He concludes: 'Responsible use starts with knowledge,' and shares the adage: 'I hear and forget. I see and remember. I do and understand.'
Theron agrees that experience should never be confused with currency. Improper use can affect colleagues, families, the environment, the farm business, and the future availability of essential crop protection products. She argues: 'Training should not be seen as a checkbox or an unnecessary interruption to the workday. It is truly an investment in people and in the sustainability of the business itself and the future of our industry.'
As the agricultural arsenal changes, the message is clear: access to crop protection products is only part of the equation. Farmers also need people who understand the risks, know the correct procedures, and can apply that knowledge in practice.
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