International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
J Udousung, Umoh CE and Akpan SB

abstract
The research evaluated the extent to which farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria utilize pesticides. Primary data were gathered through a structured questionnaire, along with responses collected during focus group discussions. A total of 240 farmers were randomly selected for the study, with 55.8% identifying as male and 44.2% as female. The majority of participants (50.8%) fell within the age range of 21 to 40 years, and 65.4% were married. Additionally, 56.7% of the respondents had attained tertiary education, and nearly half (49.6%) regarded farming as their primary occupation. Monthly incomes for 65.4% of participants ranged from N1,000 to N50,000, with 47.9% reporting household sizes of 1 to 10 individuals, and 57.9% served as household heads. Most respondents (92.1%) identified as Christians, while 56.3% had between 1 to 10 years of farming experience. Furthermore, 54.2% engaged in both subsistence and commercial farming, and 56.4% reported similar farm sizes of 1 - 5 ha. Access to extension services was available to 71.7% of respondents, whereas 57.9% had access to modern agricultural inputs, and 76.7% reported lacking access to credit facilities. The pesticides use among farmers in the region was generally low. The Pesticide Use Scale (PUS) was employed to assess the types of pesticides utilized, indicating that the most commonly used products included Quinones (mean = 0.929), organophosphates (mean = 0.900), and Bromethalin (mean = 0.663). Consequently, the study suggests that extension agents should inform farmers about the significance of pesticide usage, given the current low levels of utilization.