Knowledge Level of Hill Farm Women Regarding Safe Use of Pesticides in Home and Farm

Abstract

Pesticides have become a part of our life, sustaining many of our activities including prevention and control of many household and farm insects-pests and diseases for higher agricultural productivity . Still these have created a great threat in front of us due to their hazardous effects in our body and environment. Technical measures can be used to prevent pesticides hazards at source, and to prevent the transfer of dangerous pesticides to the human body and environment provided users have appropriate knowledge. Farmwomen have an important role to play not only in homestead activities but in agriculture also. A sample of 60 rural women involved in agriculture was taken from the five villages of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh to know their knowledge regarding safe use of pesticides both in home and at farm. It was found that though women were aware about certain aspects of safe use of pesticides, still there were some facts about which they were almost ignorant like antidote to be kept while using the pesticides, proper disposal of empty containers after use, toxicity level of different pesticides and first aid to be given in case of any emergency . Thus, appropriate efforts are needed in this context.