Pesticide Use Practices and Perceptions of Vegetable Farmers in the Cocoa Belts of the Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana

Abstract

Chemical pesticides are commonly used in the management of pests and diseases in vegetable production in Ghana. However, there is increasing concern about the adverse effects this use has on public health and the environment. A study was conducted to assess how much farmers' know about the safe handling and use of pesticides, and what they perceive to be the hazards around their use. In-depth field surveys was undertaken with 437 sampled vegetable producers and complimented with focus group discussions and field observation. The results revealed that knapsack sprayers were the most widely used equipment for spraying pesticides (92.4%), followed by hand-held applicators (4.5%) whereas only 3.1% used motorised sprayers. Only 15.6% of the respondents fully protect themselves during spraying operations; others either wore partial protective clothing (38%) or did not wear any protective clothing at all (46.4%), there by coming into direct contact with pesticides. Over 80 % of the respondents re-entered their farms within 3 days of pesticide application; harvest their produce within 7 days, without observing safe harvest interval protocols. The study also revealed that the farmers were aware of and had experienced pesticide hazards such as headache, dizziness, body weakness, and itching. Three per cent of the farmers also mentioned burning sensation, catarrh, stomach pain, unconsciousness, itching of eyes and body pains as side effects from pesticides application. Females and illiterates were found to be more vulnerable to these hazards than their male and literate counterparts. The study findings show that most farmers dispose of empty pesticide containers (59.8%) and wash water from sprayers (79.2%) by throwing or disposing them on their farms. The study concludes that farmers are misapplying pesticides by disregarding the potential harmful effects of pesticides on human health and the environment.

Pesticides exposure and the use of personal protective equipment by cocoa farmers in Ghana

“…However, in some farms these pesticide containers were found close to water bodies. Similar observations were made by Ntow et al (2006) and Afari-Sefa et al (2015). According to Ntow et al (2006), where farms are close to drinking water sources and waterways (which is the case in many farming communities in this study area) the disposal of unwanted pesticide solutions and empty containers on the field presents a pollution problem for those who drink from these water sources as well as aquatic systems which are sources of livelihood for some communities.…”

“…This may be an important source of pesticides exposure (Lekei et al 2014). Similar observations were made by Tijani (2006), Ntow et al (2006), AntwiAgyakwa (2013), Lekei et al 2014 andAfari-Sefa et al (2015). Empty pesticides containers were observed on cocoa farms during the field survey which confirmed what the farmers said.…”

“…The re-use of pesticide containers represents a route of serious non-occupational human exposure, as several traces of pesticides could still be found in the containers even after proper washing and rinsing. A similar prevalence of re-use of pesticide containers for other household activities has been reported in other studies (Gerken et al 2001;Heeren et al 2003;Lawal et al 2005;Tijani 2006;Ogunjimi and Farinde 2012b;NPAS 2012;Lekei et al 2014;Afari-Sefa et al 2015). Table 6 presents the result of the multinomial logit regression on factors influencing the disposal methods of pesticide containers by cocoa farmers.…”

Assessment of the susceptibility status of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Interior, Sandakan and Tawau divisions of Sabah, Malaysia based on WHO diagnostic doses of larvicides

“…They tend to re-use the same pesticide and increase its concentration when it is no longer effective. They also usually ignored the spray direction of pesticides and disposed the containers irresponsibly, which may increase the risk of water and soil contaminations (Ntow et al, 2006;Afari-Sefa et al, 2015). And lead to cross exposure to public health pests such as Aedes, making them resistant to these insecticides.…”

Farmers Agronomic Practice in Management of the Tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicon</i> L.) Yellow Leaf Curl Virus in Central Region of Ghana

“…This conforms to the observation that the majority of the respondents in the region are smallholder farmers, and is consistent with the report of MoFA, (2011) which states that agriculture in Ghana is predominantly on a smallholder basis. Afari-Sefa et al (2015) also reported that the majority of vegetable farmers in the Western and Ashanti regions of Ghana have small farm holdings, ranging from less than 0.4 ha up to 4 ha. (2015) where the majority of the vegetable farmers in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Volta and Central regions of Ghana practiced mixed cropping.…”