Knowledge, attitude and practice of pesticide safety measures among paddy farmers in south India

Indian has been an agricultural nation where most of the population is involved in agriculture. Yet the farmers are a neglected section of the society. Use of pesticides has been rampant in agriculture and this has made the farmers vulnerable to the risks of pesticide application. Our aim was to survey the level of awareness of the farmer regarding pests, pesticides and their correct methods of use as this data can help us design interventional programs tailored for the population under study.

A Cross-sectional questionnaire based survey was conducted among 172 paddy farmers in Kancheepuram district of Tamil-Nadu, India. The questionnaire consisted of both open ended and closed ended questions directed toward collecting demographic data and other relevant data on crops being cultivated, general knowledge and attitude on pesticide handling, safety, risk perception and protection ideas. The results were analyzed using (SPSS version 20) for descriptive statistics.

Of the 172 farmers 93% denied knowledge of any pesticide regulations and only 18.6% accepted reading the instructions given on the pesticide labels before application. Considering the safety precautions 94 (54.1%) of the subjects accepted not using any safety precaution while spraying. Of the 172 farmers in the study, 104 (60.5%) followed advice given by the retailers from whom they buy the pesticide. Even the dosage was being prescribed by the retailers. In only 37.2% of cases the pesticides were being sprayed in the fields by skilled labors.

It is clear from the study is that the farmers need training, education and financial support. Safety gears need to be provided at a subsidized rates and their proper use must be demonstrated. Farmers also need to understand the use of integrated pest management.