An assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of agrochemicals use in the flower farm industry, Naivasha, Kenya.

Abstract

Intensive agriculture and cut flower farming which are characterized by heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers have been on the increase in developing countries. A number of consequences are associated with heavy use of pesticides; however weak enforcement of laws and regulations suggests that their use will continue. There is a high possibility that Flower Farm Workers (FFW‟s) lack knowledge in handling, storage and use of pesticides in flower farms leading to increased incidences of pesticide poisoning. This study therefore aimed at; assessing the level of knowledge and awareness of pesticide use among FFW‟s; evaluating practices in pesticide handling, storage and use among FFW‟s and finally; examining attitudes and perceptions towards pesticide use among FFW‟s in Lake Naivasha Basin (LNB).The research design used was a cross sectional survey and the sampling frame comprised the population of Naivasha Division, a total of 180,012. Of these 780 FFW‟s were interviewed by random sampling. Data was collected using a detailed questionnaire. Additional information was generated from scheduled interviews and focus group discussions. Data entry and analysis was done using Statistical Programme for Social Scientist (SPSS) version 17. Results indicate that 48.7% of the FFW‟s have undergone training on handling and use of pesticides. A total of 77.6% of the respondents were aware of the adverse effects of pesticides on human health and the environment. Knowledge about the effects of agro-chemicals among FFW‟s is relatively high and varies from one flower farm to another depending on the level of training. A cross-tabulation between the level of education and use of Personal Protective Equipments (PPE‟s) by FFW‟s showed that most respondents (86.8%) who have been through formal education reportedly used PPE‟s. Correlation between training on handling of pesticides and use of PPE‟s was positive and statistically significant (p=0.001, r=0.365), suggesting that increased awareness translates to proper practices in the use of pesticides.. Most of the FFW‟s feel that the owners of the flower farm use hazardous chemicals which increase yields but without due consideration to their health. Arising from these findings the following recommendations are made. Immediate measures must be taken to acquaint and train the FFW‟s on proper handling and management of agro-chemicals. In addition, timely and appropriate enforcement of the law is needed to ensure farming activities within LNB are conducted in a environmentally sustainable manner.