Studying the Perception of Environmental Effects of Weedicide Use in Oil Palm Production by Farmers in Denkyembour District, Ghana

Weeds have always been and will be a major problem in oil palm production, especially in young oil palm fields. Oil palm farmers ‘weed management practices, awareness and their perception about the effects of weedicides’ use on the environment were studied. Data were collected from the oil palm farmers in the Denkyembour District of the Eastern Region of Ghana. One hundred and Thirty (130) private and independent small scale oil palm farmers were purposively selected from the communities and were interviewed. The purposive sampling technique was preferred for this study to select the farmers who are using herbicides on their farms. Interview schedule was used to obtain data from the farmers. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that a wide variety of weedicides were used by the farmers. A high level of awareness on the risks associated with the use of weedicide was found among the respondents. Most of the respondents (92%) used Glyphosate based weedicides for their weed management activities. However, (60%) of the farmers were not aware that re-entry into a sprayed farm within a short time can expose them to weedicide injuries. Farmers showed favourable attitudes about the risk of weedicide usage.

It could be concluded from the study that oil palm farmers in the Denkyembour District of Ghana have knowledge on the risks associated with use of weedicides and its effects on the environment. The intensification of extension services to educate farmers on safe use of weedicide in oil palm production is recommended. This study serves as a platform to carry out more survey on weedicide usage across the country.