Intention to Use Biopesticides Among myGAP Vegetable Farmers in Peninsular Malaysia: A Preliminary Assessment

Pesticides have been widely used in agriculture to manage pests and diseases and sustain crop yield. Nevertheless, chemical pesticide overuse and inappropriate use have caused substantial deterioration of the environment, which includes pollution of soil and water, loss of biodiversity, and higher pesticide residues in food products. Furthermore, long-term pesticide exposure causes a considerable health risk to farmers and consumers. The Malaysian Department of Agriculture responded to these concerns by introducing the Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices (myGAP) certification scheme to promote sustainable agricultural practices. The myGAP framework emphasises safe pesticide management, Maximum Residue Limits compliance, and high-quality agricultural produce that is safe for consumption. Biopesticides are a safer alternative to standard pesticides in this sustainability programme, where they are extracted from natural sources (plants and microorganisms) and act through a medium that is non-toxic or environmentally friendly. Programmes on Integrated Pest Management are extensively incorporated with biopesticide use to decrease reliance on synthetic pesticides while retaining crop efficiency. Biopesticide is especially important in the production of vegetables, where residue safety is essential. Despite their environmental and health benefits, the rate of biopesticide adoption among vegetable farmers in myGAP has continued to be comparatively low, which indicates inherent barriers to farmers’ use intention regarding biopesticide, which should be investigated. This preliminary study aimed to identify the main influencing factors of the intention to use biopesticides among myGAP vegetable farmers in Peninsular Malaysia. A structured questionnaire evaluated the farmers’ intentions regarding biopesticide usage and involved 30 myGAP vegetable farmers. The results demonstrated that 40% of the farmers were young, 70% were middle-aged, 60% had completed secondary school, 74% had a farm income < RM 5,000, and 53% had < 10 years of farming experiences. Most of the farmers (60%) were small holders with < 3 acres of land holding. The following influencing factors regarding intention were adapted from extended theory plan behaviour and tested for reliability: attitudes (0.83), subjective norms (0.75), perceived behavioural control (0.82), knowledge (0.71), moral norms (0.74), product attributes (0.81) and intention to use biopesticides (0.85). The reliability analysis confirmed that these factors were sufficiently robust for inclusion in the model of myGAP vegetable farmers’ intention to use biopesticides.