Assessment of Farmer’s Awareness on the Safety and Health Implications on the Use of Agrochemicals: A Case Study of Afife Rice Farm in Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: The quest to meet the food demand of people and the low food productivity in Ghanaian agriculture has necessitated the use of agrochemicals massively by small scale farmers. This study examined the farmer’s awareness of the health and safety implications of massive agrochemical usage in Afife irrigation scheme in Volta Region of Ghana. Methods: One hundred and ten farmers were sampled randomly from the Afife rice farm. A standardised questionnaire was used to collect information about farmer’s practices, knowledge and attitude about agrochemical application and personal protective equipment (PPE) usage coupled with personal observations. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: A great significant number of respondents (p≤0.05) were aware of PPE and were trained on its usage. About 88% of the respondents put on protective attires during spraying activities with most farmers using relatively good clothes as working gear on the farm. Conclusion: In effect the farmers have satisfactorily adopted and practised a precautionary method of Agrochemical use. Practical Application: The results of this research would assist policy makers, government agencies, and extension agents involved with Afife farmers to know the specific training needs of the farmers in Afife Irrigation Scheme. This would also help them to build capacity of the farmers in the specific area they are deficient in.