Pesticide Use Practices in Root, Tuber, and Banana Crops by Smallholder Farmers in Rwanda and Burundi

Joshua Sikhu Okonya, Athanasios Petsakos, Victor Suarez, Anastase Nduwayezu, Déo Kantungeko, Guy Blomme, James Peter Legg and Jürgen Kroschel
Additional contact information
Joshua Sikhu Okonya: International Potato Center (CIP), P.O. Box 22274 Kampala, Uganda
Athanasios Petsakos: International Potato Center (CIP), La Molina, Lima 12, Peru
Victor Suarez: International Potato Center (CIP), La Molina, Lima 12, Peru
Anastase Nduwayezu: Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB), P.O. Box 73 Ruhengeri, Rwanda
Déo Kantungeko: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), P.O. Box 1894 Bujumbura, Burundi
Guy Blomme: Bioversity International, c/o ILRI, P.O. Box 5689 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
James Peter Legg: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), c/o AVRDC—The World Vegetable Center, P.O. Box 10 Duluti, Arusha, Tanzania
Jürgen Kroschel: International Potato Center (CIP), NASC Complex, DPS Marg, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: Misuse and poor handling of chemical pesticides in agriculture is hazardous to the health of farmers, consumers, and to the environment. We studied the pest and disease management practices and the type of pesticides used in four root, tuber, and banana (RTB) crops in Rwanda and Burundi through in-depth interviews with a total of 811 smallholder farmers. No chemical pesticides were used in banana in either Rwanda and Burundi, whereas the use of insecticides and fungicides in potato was quite frequent. Nearly all insecticides and about one third of the fungicides used are moderately hazardous. Personal protective equipment was used by less than a half of the interviewed farmers in both countries. Reported cases of death due to self- or accidental-poisoning among humans and domestic animals in the previous 12 months were substantial in both countries. Training of farmers and agrochemical retailers in safe use of pesticide and handling and, use of integrated pest management approaches to reduce pest and disease damage is recommended.

Keywords: fungicides; insecticides; occupational health; personal protective equipment; poisoning; safety measures; training; integrated pest management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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