Assessment of Pesticide Use among Commodities Merchants in Oyo and Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

The rise incidents of food-borne poison due to abuse of agrochemicals triggered this survey. Multiple samplings were used to choose respondents from commodities merchants in Oyo and Kwara states. Two local government areas (LGAs) were further selected from each of the two states using a simple random sampling technique. Subsequently, a purposive selection strategy was used to identify two (2) markets in each of the LGAs. Ultimately, a sample of eighty (80) questionnaires were randomly administered in each of the markets making a total of 640 respondents, out of which 605 were returned valid.  The study found that pesticide users in the two states are predominantly female. The findings further revealed that 80.8 % and 59.4% of respondents in Oyo and Kwara States respectively know and applied Phostoxin. Conversely, less than 3% of the respondents from the two states know and applied the other pesticides investigated. About 59.5% source for information from agro-dealers. Also 62.9% and 76.8% respondents in Oyo and Kwara States respectively strongly agreed that their usage of pesticides was profit-driven. The study concluded that there is abuse in usage and handling of pesticides among respondents in the study area especially with regards to the disposal of unwanted pesticides and pesticide containers. The study recommended that relevant food safety regulatory agencies should carry out sensitization and training programmes on appropriate usage and handling practices of pesticides among commodities merchants aimed at ameliorating abuse and achieving safety of agricultural commodities.