During my trip to the vegetable farm, I noticed an interesting sequence of events. The farmer’s wife was in the process of two tasks at the same time: cooking lunch and treating some young plants with fungicide (picture above). To apply the pesticide (I gathered that it was named Antracol), she mixed it in a bucket with her hands, poured a little into a small bag with several holes poked in it, and then as the liquid pesticide flowed out of the bag she sloshed it around with her hands so that all the plants got covered. After emptying one bag of pesticide, she quickly dipped her hands in some water, and resumed cutting up some vegetables for lunch. Not long afterwards she resumed her fungicide application, and this time did not wash her hands before cooking again. When lunch was ready a few minutes later, I was kindly offered some food, and in order to not offend (and important value here) I ate a little and expressed my gratitude and enjoyment.
It’s really no wonder that cancer kills many here, especially among the farming community. I’ve heard that some village people don’t wash their vegetables because they believe important vitamins are removed in the washing process. Instances like these convince me that opportunities abound to improve horticulture and quality of life here with some basic training and education. It’s challenging, however, to quickly change the traditional methods that have been used for years among a people who dislike and distrust change.
