Effectiveness of Pesticide Safety Training on Farmers’ Knowledge and Practices in Vegetable Production: Evidence from Small-Scale Farmers in Kasena Nankana Municipality, Upper East Region of Ghana
Abstract
The current study examined the use of pesticides and their safety practices among smallholder vegetable farmers in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region, Ghana. A sample size of 95 vegetable farmers who engaged in dry season vegetable farming was considered. Data collection was done using interview guide and structured questionnaire, and data analysis was done using descriptive statistics including frequencies, mean, and standard deviations. The most (49%) cultivated vegetable was pepper, followed by garden eggs (26%) and tomatoes (25%). Generally, 64.2% of farmers claimed that they had taken pesticides safety training in the last two years, whereas 35.8% did not take any pesticides safety training. Of the total farmers who took the training, the majority (83.6%) found the training useful, while 16.4% felt otherwise. Mostly, 54.1% of training was conducted in farmers' farm field, and hence the importance of practical approach cannot be underestimated. Insecticides were the mostly (74.7%) used pesticides, followed by fungicides (15.8%) and herbicides/rodenticides (9.5%). Despite the fact that 58.9% of farmers knew about the health effects of pesticides, 41.1% were ignorant of it. Similarly, (65.3%) were unaware of government-banned pesticides, raising concerns about the potential use of prohibited products. Economic considerations strongly influenced pesticide selection, with (47.4%) citing price and (31.6%) citing potency. More than half (51.6%) reported not using personal protective equipment (PPE) during pesticide application. The study concludes that although the majority of smallholder vegetable farmers in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality had received pesticide safety training and demonstrated some awareness of pesticide-related health and environmental risks, a gap remained between their knowledge of pesticide safety and the adoption of appropriate safety practices. The study therefore, recommends continuous, participatory pesticide safety education using pictorial materials, demonstrations, local languages, and practical field exercises, alongside improved access to affordable PPE and greater engagement with agro-input dealers and regulatory institutions. Such integrated interventions could promote safer pesticide use and reduce associated health and environmental risks among vegetable farmers.