Abstract:
Pesticides include naturally occurring and man-made substances which are used to control
destructive pests such as insects, plant disease organisms, and weeds. Without protection
provided by pesticides the average crop loss due to pests and weeds in Ethiopia is estimated to
reach 80% percent annually. As a result farmers in Biyo Awale district have been widely using
synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in agricultural production to
prevent or control arthropod pests (e.g., insects, mites) weeds, and other plant pathogens in an
effort to reduce or eliminate yield losses and maintain high product quality. The general
objective of this study was to assess the extent of synthetic pesticide utilization, and its impact on
human health and non-target organisms that are of great importance in their ecosystem services.
The method followed a random sampling strategy, and 75 farmers were selected randomly from
10 villages in Biyo Awalle district and they were face to face interviewed with 27 questionnaires
for data collection. Findings revealed that farmers in the study area use synthetic pesticides such
as Malathion and DDT extensively. Results also showed that farmers of the study area have low
level of awareness on the risks associated with the use of synthetic pesticides. Because 33.3% of
farmers in the study area were non educated they couldn’t read and follow the instructions on
pesticides containers, and 65% of farmers did not have training on safe handling and application
of synthetic pesticides. More than 64% of respondents do not know that synthetic pesticides
pollute environment, degrade the quality of water which can be related to the damage caused on
non-target organisms. Regarding human health impact more than 90% of respondents were faced
some health discomfort in dealing with synthetic pesticides. Symptoms of health discomforts
reported were eye irritation followed by headache, skin irritation, nausea and vomiting.
xiv
Therefore, intensification of extension services to educate farmers on safe use of pesticides in
crop production is recommended.
