Pesticide Usage and Safety Measures Awareness of Small Scale Farmers in Gera District, Jimma Zone, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

The use of pesticides has drastically increased worldwide. Despite their importance toincrease yield, their adverse effects on our environmental and human health have beenwell documented due to mishandling and use. The aim of this study was, therefore, toassess the pesticide utilization and safety measures knowledge, practices and perceptionof the farmers in Gera districts of Jimma zone, Oromia region. A cross-sectional designand quantitative methods were used, and multi-stage random and purposive samplingtechniques were employed to select households (HHs) and Key Informants (KIs),respectively. For HH survey, the sample size was determined using a single populationproportion formula. A total of 500 respondents (475 farmers HHs and 25 KIs) haveparticipated in the study. Structured and both closed and open-ended questionnaireswere used to collect data. All HHs reported using one or more of the agrochemicals andpesticides use was reported by highest proportion (40.2%). About 24% of HHs reportedusing untrained employed daily labors to spray pesticides. Means of transportingpesticides used include public transport (37.1%), back of a donkey (36.6%), open truck(22.1%) and 4.2% even carrying by themselves. Majority (80.6%) of HHs reported storingpesticides anywhere in living house. Farmers disposed of leftover pesticides and emptycontainers by throwing at waste dump place (53.9%), burying in the ground (34.1%) andburning (1.5%), and some 19.0% wash and re-use them for household purposes. About52% of the studied HHs indicated never practicing general safety measures. About 70%of the farmers confirmed never using one or more of the recommended PersonalProtection Equipment during pesticide preparation and application. About 97.0% of userfarmers reported using incomplete protective equipment. Those who did not use PPEgave reasons such as high cost (34.5%), unavailability in the market (32.4%), felt no needof it (17.4%), not having it for use (16.5%) and feeling discomfort in use (15.6%). Thestudy demonstrated that pesticides are widely used by farmers in the study area butsafety measures practice is poor and inadequate. Therefore, continuous and appropriatetraining programs need to be provided to raise awareness among farmers, farm workersand vendors about the importance of proper pesticide management during all phases ofhandling them. Also, availability of PPE must be ensured at low cost so as to enhancetheir usage and popularity among the farmers and farm workers.