Abstract
Investing in farm safety is a win-win game. Apart from improving the financial bottom line of a farm business, it increases and improves the labour productivity of farm workers, which in turn improve agricultural sector. Consequently, agricultural accidents place a great burden on the economy resulting in reduced return on investment (ROI) in agriculture and the burden of injuries/illness (BOI) is increased. This impedes efficiency of the workers, decreased agricultural output and profitability. The dearth of information on the economic relationship of farm safety and ROI, especially in agriculture with focus on a developing country like Nigeria stimulated this research by assessing the economic implication of farm safety practices on agriculture in Nigeria. 100 respondents with agriculture as primary occupation were randomly selected from farming households in Ibadan, Nigeria. Health and work performance questionnaire (HPQ), work limitation questionnaire and interview schedule were adopted for data collection. The research revealed that about 80 and 75% of the respondents had severe wrist/hand injury and lower back pain, respectively which are work related. 63% of the respondents on average have been prevented from doing their work as a result of occupational injuries and illness which leads to lost time, restricted work cases and fatalities leading to production loss. Also, 80% of the respondents do not use any form of personal protective equipment (PPE). Inadequate information and awareness coupled with cost implication were ranked highest on the farm safety adoption constraint list. Thus, information dissemination on farm safety, a subsidized well implemented farm safety programme and farm accident record keeping are recommended. Key words: Nigeria, farm safety, economics.
Highlights
The realization of the African Green Revolution and its contribution to food security and economic growth in SubSaharan Africa is threatened by many factors (Ngigi, 2009)
Agricultural accidents place a great burden on the economy, resulting in reduced return on investment (ROI) in agriculture; the burden of injuries/illness (BOI) is on the increase
The issue of health and safety in agriculture is inconsequential in a developing nation like Nigeria or if at all considered, it is still at a very low ebb or non-existence despite the fact that agriculture is the mainstay of her economy
Summary
The realization of the African Green Revolution and its contribution to food security and economic growth in SubSaharan Africa is threatened by many factors (Ngigi, 2009). Farm safety is a focal issue for improved agricultural productivity; with the expansion of agricultural technology, there is a growing health concern that agricultural workers will face, in addition to traditional health risks with the new occupational health and safety hazards.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
