Assessment of Pesticide Use and Disposal in Gida Ayana District, Western Oromia, Ethiopia
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Date
2019-08-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Pesticides are poisonous chemicals used to kill insects, fungus, bacteria and other organisms that affect crops and transmit diseases to the public. They also have veterinary importance – they kill ticks that affect livestock health. The chemicals destroy herbs (weeds) and animals causing harm to the health of the livestock. The Ethiopian agricultural sector has the potential to drive the country’s economic development. It ensures food security of its people and brings about industrial transformation. Agriculture is major source of income and occupation in the study area. Promoting sustainability of the sector requires using improved agricultural technologies. Pesticides are such technologies that enable farmers to control pest and weeds in order to increase agricultural yields, and thereby provide a number of benefits to the society. The study is done in Gida Ayana district, West Oromia, Ethiopia. Out of 27 Kebeles of the district, three Kebeles were purposively selected for study. The research design was survey research, and open and closed-ended questions were prepared and distributed to a total of 182 respondents. Of these 156 responded to the questionnaires. The response rate is 85.71%. Based on this comparative study was conducted on pesticides use taking the three Kebeles as units of analysis. The research findings indicated that pesticides are widely used in the study area. Most of these are used against anti-crop pests/insects and weeds in order to increase crop production. About 75.82% of the respondents use pesticides for different purposes. The study further indicated that Glyphosate, Glymax, Glycel, 2, 4-D, and Zura herbicides are largely used in the study area. Majority of the users have no adequate knowledge of the health effects of the pesticides. About 33.5% of the respondents indicated they dispose in the agricultural fields where the chemicals are used. The use of pesticides is not restricted to agricultural fields. They are also used in homes. Improper disposal of the chemicals causes health problems to the people themselves and their livestock. The chemicals also contaminate the environment. Proper disposal of the unwanted pesticides is one of the important tasks of responsible user. Improper disposal can lead to contamination of environment and pesticide users, it is necessary to encourage farmers to use alternative methods of cultivation. Every user of pesticides needs to know the benefits and risks of the chemicals.
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Keywords
Pesticides, Chemicals, Gida Ayana, Pest