Evaluation of the effectiveness of Agricultural Pesticide label information awareness and dissemination in Nairobi county by retailers

Abstract

Pesticides uses in agriculture have increased since World War II. Their use has seen increased agricultural productivity due to reduced risks of pest's infestations. However there has also been an increasing concern over their health and environmental effects. Pesticide labels play an important role in mitigating these effects. Primary data was collected from 78 retailers in Nairobi County; Kenya and was analysed using measures of central tendencies, charts, tables and Multiple Regression to determine the level of awareness and effectiveness of pesticides retailers in the dissemination of pesticides label information. It was established that, pesticides retailers are aware of the importance of pesticides labels. However, they did not fully utilize all the available information found on the labels. They disregard important and useful label information such as that of active . ingredients, inert ingredients EPARN and EPAEN that are crucial for safe handling and use of pesticides. They also care little about the legal implications of ignoring label information. It is therefore recommended that an immediate enforcement of the current regulations is put in place in the short run, enhancement of pesticide use policy framework in the medium term and incorporation of training programs, both formally and informally in order to raise the knowledge levels of pesticide retailers.