Farm-level Pesticide Use in Bangladesh: Determinants and Awareness

Farmers’ awareness of beneficial and harmful effects of pesticides and factors determining use of pesticides were analyzed using survey data from 21 villages in three agro-ecological regions of Bangladesh. Pesticide cost accounts for about 7.7 percent of the gross value of output in cotton, 3.6 percent in vegetables, 2.5 percent in potato, 1.8 percent in modern rice, 1.6 percent in spices and less than one percent in other cereal and non-cereal crops. About 77 percent of farmers (highest 94 percent in Comilla) used pesticides at least once (37 percent applied once and 31 percent applied twice, and the rest applied between three to five times) in a crop season. Cultivation of traditional and modern rice varieties, potatoes, spices, vegetables and cotton are the prime determinants of pesticide use. Farmers seem to treat pesticides as substitutes for fertilizers, indicated by the positive influence of fertilizer prices on pesticide use. Also, increases in pulse and jute prices increase pesticide use. Among the socio-economic variables, land ownership and agricultural credit are positively related to pesticide usage. Pesticide use is higher in underdeveloped regions. Sharp regional variations also exist in pesticide usage. Major policy thrusts for devising pesticide regulation and effective implementation, increasing farmers’ awareness of the effects of pesticide use, and expansion of IPM practices are suggested to safeguard poor farmers in their pursuit of agricultural livelihoods.