The Tiller's Lamentation

I dig the earth for my saab and wokta

and for the sweet intoxicating pito,

I tender the sorghum to maturity.

Daily, I commune with the land,

turning it gently with my little hoe.

For there is no higher delight

than tending things that grow; 

no smell more exciting, 

than that of boiling pito;

no sight more pleasing 

than that of new green, 

and colourful blossoms, 

in the sweet morning sun! 

This was my life, my work, my joy.

And for many ages, good old weeds 

and late rains were my daily song. 

So we lived in peace and quiet; 

this land and I

each for the other 

in unending consonance.

Then they sent a sudden death 

nicknamed 'Condemn',

and plastered it over the growing green.

It found its way into backyards and little rivers,

poisoning the cowpea and the okra,

and shriveling the sesame tendrils.

All that was green and good 

failed at their promise.

It is death to all, this Condemn. 

I will sooner have no weeds to cut,

and no crops to harvest.

For it lingers; this death,

killing roots and shoots and pods,

and last of all, it should kill me 

if I don't die first.

And there shall be no early millet,

and no late millet and no sorghum.

No groundnuts, no cowpea, no maize,

no saab, no wokta soup and no pito.

Only condemn shall remain!

*saab - millet gruel/TZ

*wokta - leaves of the Guinea sorrel plant/bra/bitow 

* Condemn - nickname for various brands of non-selective herbicides. 

The use of herbicides has become a common practice in food crop farming, especially in the Savannah areas. Many farmers have resorted to their use in controlling weeds on farms, often without much understanding of their potential impact on the environment and human ingestion. 

There are different types of herbicides and each category works differently. Some of these types include; contact, systemic, selective, non-selective and residual herbicides. 

Contact herbicides kill weeds as soon as they come into contact with it, whilst systemic herbicides work their way through the plant's transport system to affect the plant's internal structure. A popular type of contact herbicide is glyphosate. Selective herbicides kill all but a particular plant for which they are not harmful to and non-selective herbicides work to kill or damage everything that they touch. Non-selective herbicides are also called Total Weed killers. Residual weed killers tend to poison the soil, rendering it useless for growing plants. This type can sit in the soil for many months, inhibiting any form of plant growth. 

The nickname "Condemn" is used to refer to non-selective herbicides that are used in land clearing because they eliminate all weeds on contact. They are therefore said to 'condemn' all weeds. 

There is no doubt that the use of herbicides reduces drudgery in small scale farming. However, the misuse or abuse of herbicides also has harmful consequences for crops and animals that consume them especially humans. They may build up and contaminate food crops especially vegetables, leafy greens and fruits leading to food poisoning. In addition, they may contaminate water bodies through spray drifts and runoffs from land applications. Studies have found that exposure to herbicides can lead to respiratory problems, memory disorders, skin conditions, depression, miscarriage, birth defects, cancer and neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease. 

In the light of these potential harmful effects, it is important to educate farmers and farm input dealers on how to handle, use and dispose off herbicides to minimise their harmful effects on the environment and humans. 

A sample of Weed killers on the Ghanaian Market.