Pesticide knowledge and safety practices in farm workers from Tubah Sub-Division, North West Region, Cameroon

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the safety measures practiced by farmers with use of pesticides in Tubah Sub-Division. The data gathered would be useful for drafting policies related to use of pesticides to reduce its effects on human health and the environment. This survey was carried out in November 2016 in Tubah Sub-Division, Mezam Division of the North West region of Cameroon. A structured questionnaire was administered to 120 homesteads of the study area. The results revealed that 94.2% of the farmers were untrained in pesticide safety measures, 30.8% did not observe any safety interval before consuming freshly treated crops and 25.8% did not read instructions on pesticide labels before handling. Fifty five percent of the farmers did not use any protective equipment, 79.2% practiced careless pesticide disposal, 13.3% stored pesticides in stores and 7.5% stored pesticides inside their houses. Eighty percent of the families stored their crops via hanging in the house and smoking the crops, while 10.8% stored their crops in sealed bins. Water washing followed by removing the outer cover was applied as a crop cleaning procedure prior to cooking or consumption. Major symptoms such as headache, wheezing, dizziness and skin problems were observed in the homesteads. Some environmental changes observed after application of pesticides were damage of non-target plants and disappearance of insects. It could be concluded that in Bambili, farmers lacked proper knowledge regarding safe handling and use of pesticides and the adverse effects of improper pesticide use to human health and the environment.