Agricultural agency given latest bio-pesticides |28 December 2009

Professor Enzo Lazzarini, a businessman who has been coming to Seychelles on holiday for the past 10 years after falling in love with it on his first visit, handed over the donation to SAA chief executive Antoine-Marie Moustache on Wednesday afternoon.

Also present were principal secretary for natural resources and transport Veronique Herminie and principal officer for research at the SAA Keven Nancy.

The bio-pesticides and fertilisers are environmentally friendly and target-specific, meaning they kill pests in a more controlled way rather than wiping out other species as well.

Imported from Italy, the 90-kilo consignment includes names like Tequil 4, Radicante, Algabios, Calshine, Rubigan, Nutron, Lepinox and Kohinor.

The pesticides, with a total value of €100,000, will be tested for some time at chosen farms as well as by the SAA before being made available to farmers on a large scale.

“We want to promote a new dimension for agriculture in Seychelles,” said Mr Nancy.
“We want to focus on sustainable agriculture and do more to protect the environment, especially by using more environmentally-friendly products.”

Mr Nancy said all the products are approved by foreign regulatory bodies and have passed all tests for quality and environmental safety. 

They are designed to kill a range of pests and come in various forms, such as liquid, pellets and powder.