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Determinants of Pesticide Use in Food Crop Production in Southeastern Nigeria

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  • Sanzidur Rahman

    (School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK)

  • Chidiebere Daniel Chima

    (School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK)

Abstract

The present study examines pesticide use in producing multiple food crops (i.e., rice, yam, and cassava) and identifies the range of socio-economic factors influencing pesticide use by 400 farmers from Ebonyi and Anambra states of Southeastern Nigeria using a Tobit model. Results reveal that 68% of the farmers grew at least two food crops. Overall, 41% of the farmers applied pesticides in at least one food crop, whereas 70% of the farmers producing both rice and yam applied pesticides. Pesticide use rates and costs vary significantly amongst farmers producing different food crops and crop combinations. Pesticide use rate is highest for producing yam followed by cassava estimated at 1.52 L/ha costing Naira 1677.97 per ha and 1.37 L/ha costing Naira 1514.96 per ha. Similarly, pesticide use rate is highest for the farmers that produce both yam and cassava followed by farmers that produce both rice and cassava. The inverse farm size–pesticide use rate exists in the study areas, i.e., the pesticide use rate is highest for the small farmers ( p < 0.01). Farmers seem to treat pesticides as substitutes for labor and ploughing services, indicated by the significant positive influence of labor wage and ploughing price on pesticide use. Increases in yam price significantly increase pesticide use. Rice production significantly increases pesticide use, whereas cassava production significantly reduces pesticide use. Male farmers use significantly more pesticides. Farming experience is significantly positively related to pesticide use. Policy recommendations include land reform policies aimed at increasing farm operation size and investment in programmes to promote cassava production to reduce pesticide use in food crop production in Southeastern Nigeria.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanzidur Rahman & Chidiebere Daniel Chima, 2018. "Determinants of Pesticide Use in Food Crop Production in Southeastern Nigeria," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:8:y:2018:i:3:p:35-:d:134079
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ehui, Simeon K. & Tsigas, Marinos E., 2009. "The Role of Agriculture in Nigeria’s Economic Growth: A General Equilibrium Analysis," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51787, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Sanzidur Rahman & Chidiebere Daniel Chima, 2016. "Determinants of Food Crop Diversity and Profitability in Southeastern Nigeria: A Multivariate Tobit Approach," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Sheahan, Megan & Barrett, Christopher B., 2017. "Ten striking facts about agricultural input use in Sub-Saharan Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 12-25.
    4. Dasgupta, Susmita & Meisner, Craig & Huq, Mainul, 2005. "Health effects and pesticide perception as determinants of pesticide use : evidence from Bangladesh," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3776, The World Bank.
    5. Michael Johnson & Peter Hazell & Ashok Gulati, 2003. "The Role of Intermediate Factor Markets in Asia's Green Revolution: Lessons for Africa?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 85(5), pages 1211-1216.
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    Cited by:

    1. Raluca Georgiana Robu & Ana-Maria Holobiuc & Alina Petronela Alexoaei & Valentin Cojanu & Dumitru Miron, 2023. "Regional Patterns of Pesticide Consumption Determinants in the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-19, January.
    2. Gbêtondji Melaine Armel Nonvide, 2021. "Adoption of agricultural technologies among rice farmers in Benin," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 2372-2390, November.
    3. Lan Tran & Theodoros Skevas & Laura McCann, 2023. "Measuring pesticide overuse and its determinants: Evidence from Vietnamese rice and fruit farms," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 67(3), pages 417-437, July.
    4. Min Su & Nico Heerink & Peter Oosterveer & Tao Tan & Shuyi Feng, 2021. "Impacts of China’s Minimum Grain Procurement Price Program on Agrochemical Use: A Household-Level Analysis," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-20, September.
    5. Hongpeng Guo & Fanhui Sun & Chulin Pan & Baiming Yang & Yin Li, 2021. "The Deviation of the Behaviors of Rice Farmers from Their Stated Willingness to Apply Biopesticides—A Study Carried Out in Jilin Province of China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-17, June.

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