Extension visit exposes farmers to improve production technologies and proper utilization of farm inputs. 2010).High yield rice varieties grown in major rice production . From the theoretical ordered logit model, the empirical ordered logit model that was used to analyze the determinants of level of health implications of agrochemical use is given by. The explanatory variables explain 21% (pseudo R2) variations in the awareness level. In most cases, the inspector will interview the complainant and inspect the site. The law regulates the use of agrochemicals so that they are without risk to people, livestock, wildlife and the environment. Copyright 2017 Franklin N. Mabe et al. Out of 154 respondents, 13% of the responded indicated that they wash the spraying machine in water bodies like rivers and streams. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Some label directions specify the maximum wind speed for application. Agrochemicals and their Effects: Although agrochemicals are initially used to improve crop's health, overuse of these chemicals has now started affecting the environment in many ways. Pesticides Use in Ghana. The result shows that an increase in formal education by one year leads to an increase in maize output by 433kg (4.33 bags). Water is central to all life, but we use it to destroy. Pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, soil conditioners, algaecides, and other agrochemicals are examples. 253260, 2009. The user is legally responsible for any damage due to misuse of pesticides. trailer The full implementation of the provisions of the act is done by EPA with the help of Ghana Ports and Harbors authority (GPHA), Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Ghana Standards Board (GSB), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), and Factory Inspectorate Department of Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare. This is because maize is very important for improving food security and poverty reduction as it is the staple food for most Ghanaians. The study revealed that 85% of respondents who cultivated cash crops such as Cocoa and Rubber heavily relied on the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. As a result, in many countries, the use of agrochemicals has become highly regulated and government-issued permits for purchase and use of approved agrichemicals may be required. Apart from the aforementioned, several are classified as agrochemical or agrichemical goods. These factors result from the misuse of pesticides through the erroneous beliefs of farmers about pesticide toxicity, lack of attention to . Agrochemicals are generally recognized as a significant factor in enhancing the ability to meet Ghana's need for sufficient, safe and affordable food and fiber, however, increased usage have led to environmental deterioration. Plant Growth Regulators are a type of chemical. Agrochemicals are a broad term that refers to a variety of chemicals designed to protect plants and crops. endstream endobj 116 0 obj<> endobj 118 0 obj<> endobj 119 0 obj<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/ExtGState<>>> endobj 120 0 obj<> endobj 121 0 obj<> endobj 122 0 obj<> endobj 123 0 obj<> endobj 124 0 obj<> endobj 125 0 obj<> endobj 126 0 obj<> endobj 127 0 obj<>stream This quantitative cross sectional study sought to understand the level of awareness, practices, and perceptions of safe 4,5 Many factors account for this phenomenon, including small farm sizes, which compel farmers to come into direct contact with agrochemicals, and the normalization of agrochemicals by smallholder farmers due to limited knowledge of safety . 0000008655 00000 n Intervention to increase farmers awareness of health implication of agrochemicals use in the study area should consider interactive radio programs in local languages. The safety use of recommended dosage of agrochemicals by a farmer is implicitly determined by the satisfaction or the utility that the farmer derives from adhering to the safety and dosage specifications. B. Dinham, Growing vegetables in developing countries for local urban populations and export markets: problems confronting small-scale producers, Pest Management Science, vol. Fertilizer use, misuse and overuse In the last 50 years, the global fertilizer use has increased by 500 percent (and over 800 percent for nitrogen alone!). Research Explorer. Government agencies (Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Standard Board and Environmental Protection Agency) and Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) have not relented on their efforts to creating farmers awareness of health implications of agrochemical use. According to Okoffo et al. 35.40%, 32.74%, and 19.47% of respondents disposed of Agrochemical containers using Pit burial, Burn/Incinerate, and Indiscriminate methods, respectively, while 12.39% used ecological . Despite the reduced use of agrochemicals, unsafe chemical use practices are high among farmers in Africa. They increase yields and reduce the presence of foreign materials in some commodities. 175, no. The awareness level was significantly explained by education, the number of children in school, ownership of TV/radio, experience in agrochemicals use, and farm size. G. Owusu-Boateng and K. K. Amuzu, A survey of some critical issues in vegetable crops farming along river oyansia in opeibea and dzorwulu, Accra-Ghana, Global Advanced Research Journal of Physical and Applied Sciences, vol. Education years were hypothesized to be positively related to maize output. According to NPAS [16], chemical pesticides destabilize agroecological systems and biodiversity by contaminating the environment. 0000000796 00000 n Last edited on 11 November 2022, at 11:17, Top six agrochemical firms grew steady in 2013, Agricultural chemicals market value worldwide in 2018 and 2019 with a forecast from 2020 to 2025, "Agricultural Chemical Usage - Chemical Distribution Rate - ID: t722h8817 - USDA Economics, Statistics and Market Information System", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Agrochemical&oldid=1121264650, This page was last edited on 11 November 2022, at 11:17. Significant penalties can result from misuse, including improper storage resulting in spillage. This is because farmers who own radio and television receive information on safety use of agrochemicals. . Maize continues to lead as the most important staple food in Ghana. I would recommend that the authors should conduct a thorough English language . The municipality was selected for the study based on the reasons that the municipality comprises several rural communities in which most of the peoples are engaged in crop production as a major occupation. This agriculture article is a stub. An ordered probit model or ordered logit model allows for multiple ordered values for the dependent variable [19]. [5], the use of pesticides by farmers to control weeds, increase agricultural productivity, and preserve agricultural produce has reached a crescendo thereby calling for urgent attention. The number of children in school was used as a proxy of information availability on safety use of agrochemicals to the farmer. Plants may become spotted, curled or even die when exposed to a pesticide, often because wind has carried it from its intended area. M. Glover-Amengor and F. M. Tetteh, Effect of pesticide application rate on yield of vegetables and soil microbial communities, West African Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. The banana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus Germar) was ranked as the most important agricultural pest by 85% of participants, yet only 28% could associate the adult and larval form. The result shows that an increase in the quantity of pesticides by one liter leads to an increase in maize output by 221kg (2.21 bags) holding other factors constant. 0000000016 00000 n This study assessed factors that affect awareness of health implications of agrochemical use and its effects on maize production in Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality of Ashanti Region, Ghana. The Department's role in pesticide misuse incidents is limited to determining whether a violation has occurred. The socioeconomic variables included in the Cobb-Douglas production function are labor, farmers awareness levels of health implications of agrochemicals use, age, marital status, household size, years of education, extension contacts, credit, farm size, and quantity of pesticides. In 1966, Illinois became one of the first states to regulate pesticides. 8, United Nations University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, 2005. Meanwhile, these sources of water are not free from residues of pesticides as farmers usually wash knapsack sprayers and their clothes into these water sources after spraying. Misuse or excess use of fertilizers. The agrochemicals and their effects are described below: 1. Also, a multivariate linear regression model was used to analyze the effects of health implications of agrochemical use on maize output. Without the usage of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, hazardous organisms would continue to thrive and adapt at an accelerated rate, posing a major threat to agricultural produce. Yearly income averaged US$6200/ha and yearly expenses averaged US$1872/ha, with an average cost-benefit ratio of 3.67 for plantain farmers. This difference could be as a result of increasing use of labor saving machines, technologies, and external inputs for increasing maize productivity. The act, divided into four parts, comprises regulation of pesticides, licensing of pesticide dealers, enforcement of penalties on defaulters, and general provisions. The multivariate linear regression results showed that awareness levels of health implications of agrochemical use increase maize output. 0000001265 00000 n The results showed that education, the number of children in school, and ownership of TV/radio positively influence farmers level of awareness of health implications of agrochemicals use. Since the era of the Green Revolution, Agricultural production worldwide experienced much efficiency with a remarkable aim to eradicate threats of food insecurity. Augmented Cobb-Douglas production function was also used to quantify how awareness of health implications of agrochemical use affects maize output. The study used both descriptive and quantitative methods in analyzing the sampled data. Wettable powders, soluble concentrates, suspendable concentrates, emulsifiable concentrates, wettable dry granules, and soluble powders are all examples of insecticides. Fungicides are toxic compounds or insecticides that kill or prevent fungus and their spores from growing. 59, no. Also, the theoretical model for the log-odd is shown in (5).It is important to note that the terms of the indices are and hence, . world, partly due to illiteracy, lack of information or misinformation about how to use the products. Herbicides are essential in integrated weed management systems. This definition is valid when one is looking at the theory of consumer behavior. Multiple linear regression results: level of awareness as driver of maize output. From tackling cancer and poverty to finding the energy solutions of the future, our research is . The reason could be that farmers who are educated can read and understand labels on agrochemical containers and adhere to safety standards. 115 0 obj<> endobj Fin The study found that environmental challenges, activities of NGOs, government policy, lack of or high cost of labor, and competition among farmers were major factors influencing farmers' decisions to use agrochemicals. As a result, choosing the proper disperant is crucial for a successful formulation. Various types of samples, such as plants, water or soil, may be collected for analysis. Agrochemicals were introduced to protect crops from pests and enhance crop yields. Use bait stations for rodent baits that are formulated with food (e.g., peanut butter or grain bait) or place the bait where non-target wildlife cannot get to it. From the results, 77.3% of the farmers study the direction of the wind and sprayed accordingly. 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