PERCEPTION OF HAZARDS OF AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS AND ADOPTION OF SAFETY MEASURES BY YAM FAMERS IN MBAYION COMMUNITY OF GBOKO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

Agro-chemicals have become dominant in agricultural practices in Nigeria for increased agricultural production, however the use of these chemicals is not without environmental and health hazards which needs to be controlled. This work has therefore looked at farmer’s perception of health hazards caused by agrochemicals, and how this affects their application of agro-chemical safety measures. The objectives of the work were therefore: to ascertain the nature of the agro-chemicals used by yam farmers in Mbayion community, evaluate the perception of yam farmers on agro-chemicals’ health hazards and the required safety measures and to examine the use of safety measures by yam farmers against agro-chemical hazard. These objectives were pursued by the use of survey design, while the population of study was exclusively yam farmers within the community, a sample of 170 yam farmers was chosen purposively from the four Council Wards of the community. Data was collected by the use of structured and in-depth interview and analysis of the data carried out using simple percentages and descriptive interpretive analysis. It was discovered among other things that yam farmers in the study area makes use of herbicides, pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers. Majority (91.8%) of them were aware of some health hazards caused by these chemicals but underrated its consequences, therefore most of them (75%) do not border to apply appropriate safety measures, and some even attributed the health consequences to other things like misfortune and nature of their body system.  It is therefore recommended among other things that, the government through health workers, agricultural extension workers and community leaders intensify efforts to sensitise farmers on the health effects of agro-chemicals and the necessity of safety measures so that they can be applied to curtail the health hazards of the chemicals.