In the midst of the peak season for rural plant protection activities, Luo Linkui, an orchard owner from Longtan Township in Qutan County, Qu County, wrote to this reporter expressing concerns about the lack of protective equipment available for pesticide application. He pointed out that while most pesticide instructions recommend wearing masks and other protective gear, such items are not readily available at the county level. There are no local producers or distributors, and businesses seem uninterested in stocking them.
After investigating the issue, the reporter found that it wasn't that dealers were unwilling to buy the products, but rather that the market demand was low. This low demand reflects a lack of awareness among farmers regarding the importance of protection during plant protection tasks.
Luo, a 60-year-old well-educated farmer, has been managing his orchards for years and cannot avoid pesticide spraying. On June 18, he told the reporter, “For years, I’ve used regular gauze masks. Four layers don’t do much. When I spill four doses of medicine, I feel dizzy, have trouble breathing, and lose my appetite.†He hoped to purchase professional protective gear but couldn’t find any in local townships or counties.
The reporter then visited Houxi Street, where many agricultural supply stores are located. Yan Guangbing, a store owner, admitted, “Specialized protective equipment for plant protection isn’t easy to sell. We don’t even keep it in stock.†Another dealer, Zhang Tianxiong, added, “Some farmers wear them, but they don’t really care about protection. Even if they do, they won’t buy it. They bargain over the price of pesticides, which are only a few yuan, but protective gear is more expensive.â€
Even in Chengdu’s largest wholesale market, the sales of protective equipment remain low. Although some stores sell gas masks and anti-virus half-masks, they are rarely purchased. Lan Xin, a seller at an agricultural supply center, said, “Gas masks and goggles cost around 80 to 90 yuan, but very few farmers buy them. We just match one order at a time.â€
Yang Shaofang, a staff member from the Jinli District Agricultural Machinery Business Department, noted, “The main buyers are base owners and workers. Individual farmers don’t show much interest.†Xiao Hu from Huimin Farming Equipment Co., Ltd. added, “Our protective clothing costs over 70 yuan, and it’s usually given as a gift with equipment. No one buys it on its own. If two sprayers come in, farmers might buy one set.â€
At the Jingjusi Agricultural Comprehensive Wholesale Market, an elderly farmer from Meilin Village, Sansheng Township, was seen selecting a sprayer. When asked if he would consider buying protective gear, he replied, “I’ve never bought it. I don’t spray pesticides directly. I just pick vegetables and plant crops. When I need to kill locusts, I spray a bottle of medicine and finish in 20 minutes. Masks and clothes are too much trouble.â€
Yuzhong Lin, deputy director of the Quxian Agricultural Bureau Plant Protection Station, explained, “Most farmers use medical masks, which are available at pharmacies and can be more than ten layers thick. They help block odors and reduce harm. In the past, the county distributed several hundred sets of protective gear to plant protection cooperatives through project funds.â€
Experts from the Provincial Plant Protection Station emphasized that although training on safe pesticide use is provided annually, many rural farmers are older and less educated, leading to poor self-protection awareness. It will take time to improve this. Farmers can also opt to hire plant protection cooperatives to handle pesticide applications, reducing personal risk.
Currently, there are no manufacturers producing specialized gauze masks for plant protection, so medical masks are often used instead. Protective clothing is mainly produced outside the province and is expensive, making it difficult for local dealers to stock. If needed, farmers can contact their local plant protection departments or purchase directly from manufacturers.
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