A survey of some critical issues in vegetable crops farming along River Oyansia in Opeibea and Dzorwulu, Accra-Ghana

Godfred Owusu-Boateng¹* and Kafui Korshiwor Amuzu²

¹Faculty of Renewable and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.

²Environmental Protection Agency, Accra-Ghana.

*Corresponding author Email: godfredowusuboateng@yahoo.com

Accepted 02 September, 2013

Abstract

Crop farmers along the Oyansia River in the Opeibea and Dzorwulu Communities, Accra use pesticides to control pest infestation which has been a cause of recurring loss of productivity. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge of pesticides handling by crop farmers along River Oyansia through questionnaire interview with forty (40) out of the sixty-eight (68) cabbage farmers identified. The study revealed heavy reliance of pesticides for insect pest control. Male farmers (77.5%), the most susceptible to pesticide effect, dominated crop farmers probably due to cultural factors. Also younger people (18-35 years) formed majority of farmers pointing to the propensity to undertake this strength-driven activities. While this may on one hand indicate reduction in unemployment, the low level of educational attainment (basic education) by majority (55%) of farmers seems to heighten disregard for human health safety measures including wearing of protective devices (e. g. nose mask) and sound environmental safety practices measures (e. g. proper disposal of pesticides containers) which in turn promote susceptibility to health disorders and pollution of the river during runoff respectively. Although farmers were aware of the banned pesticides by the Ghana EPA, weak understanding of the human and environmental health safety reasons behind the ban or weak enforcement or both might have encouraged the continuous abuse of these pesticides.

Keywords: pesticides, vegetable crops, health, knowledge