Posted in Safety, Chemical

Chemical training for Vietnamese farmers

Being Vietnamese in a remote area, my English was poor and I relied on my children to translate for me. However, James made it possible for me to complete the course by myself as he hired a Vietnamese translator. James would explain a procedure or concept, then have it translated into Vietnamese so I could understand. I then was able to ask questions through the translator. He was very patient and only moved on when he was sure all of us understood.

I am a Vietnamese farmer located in Lambells Lagoon, NT. I did a chemical course with James back in 2014. I wanted to do this course to make sure I was conducting my farming business correctly and that the produce I sold was of high quality. Additionally, I wanted to be able to hold licenses to buy chemicals that would help me with my farming practice. This made me more competitive in the farming market and made me able to sell my produce to Woolworths and Coles.

This opened up many opportunities in the Vietnamese farming community. Consequently, these courses became very popular with Vietnamese farmers, when James offered another course, enrolments reached full capacity very quickly. Many Vietnamese farmers were now able to complete these courses and not rely on their children to translate. I learnt farming practices and procedures first-hand, which is a great skill to have and made me very proud.

One of the chemical courses was Schedule 7 (S7) licenses. This course allowed me to attain multiple licenses to be able to buy S7 chemicals. I learnt about different chemicals and how to use, store, and dispose of them. I learnt how dangerous they can be and my legal obligations to store and dispose of them correctly. I learnt how to read labels to be able to correctly add the right amount of chemical to water ratio so I don’t destroy my crops or put too little and waste chemicals. I learnt to differentiate between different pictures and symbols and what they meant, which is great because my English reading skills are not great. I highly recommend this course for Vietnamese farmers, as it made me very proud and more independent. Bui, Lambells Lagoon