Abstract
In view of increasing irrational use and unsafe handling of pesticides in agriculture in Nepal, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the practice of chemical pesticide use and acute health symptoms experienced by farmers. A total of 790 farmers from the Chitwan district were randomly selected for the study. X2 test, T-test, and Multiple Logistic Regression were used for analysis. Among the farmers, 84% used exclusively chemical pesticide. Farmers with better knowledge on pesticide handling were 8.3 times more likely to practice safe purchasing, four times more likely to practice safe mixing and spraying, and two times more likely to practice safe storage and disposal. Similarly, perception/attitude of farmers about chemical pesticide policy and market management was significantly associated with the practice of farmers during purchasing, mixing and spraying, and storage and disposal. Among the users of chemical pesticides, 18.7% farmers experienced one or more pesticide related acute symptoms of health problems during the previous 12 months. Farmers with unsafe practices of pesticide handling were two times more likely to suffer from acute poisoning. It is concluded that knowledge about pesticide handling and favorable perception/attitude on pesticide policy and market management are the predictors of safe use of pesticide.
Highlights
Increasing pesticide use in farming has become a global public health issue, affecting middle- and low-income countries [1]
Chemical pesticides are widely used in commercial agriculture products, which are consumed by the larger consumers from the local and distant markets
We studied the practice of pesticide use in three parts—during purchase; during mixing and spray; and storage and disposal
Summary
Increasing pesticide use in farming has become a global public health issue, affecting middle- and low-income countries [1]. Global pesticide use increased by 46% between and 2016 [2,3]. The total world land area is 13.5 billion ha, of which 4.9 billion ha is agricultural land [4]. In 2016, the total amount of active ingredients in pesticides used in agriculture was 4.1 million tons worldwide [4]. In Nepal, the consumption average weight of active ingredients of pesticides applied is 396 g/ha [5]. This amount is lower in comparison to other countries
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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 call
