Abiemo Jerome Edem

The Impacts of Increased use of Pesticides Abiemo Jerome Edem

Rice production is an important economic activity among indigenous smallholder farmers. In the Aveyime community of southern Ghana, rice production among indigenous farmers in the early 1920s was characterized by the use of botanicals such as 'neem' extract, for the control of pests and disease, as well as compost and farmyard manure, to help replenish the soil's lost nutrients. However, with the advent of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the majority of farmers converted from organic to inorganic systems of rice production, without considering the negative effects associated with the use of pesticides. The study investigates the common pesticides used by farmers and the major factors that influenced their rapid adoption. It also estimates and compares the private and social BCRs of organic and inorganic systems of rice production.