Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Pesticide Use among Oil Palm Smallholders in Sandakan, Sabah

Abstract

A study on knowledge, altitude, and practices of pesticide usage among small holder oil palm farmers were conducted in Sandakan, Sabah. 50 respondents were chosen to be part of the study and were questioned on their demographic background, knowledge and practices of the pesticide usage. The survey questionnaire also covers on symptoms of pesticides poisoning experienced by the respondents. Majority of the respondents were men age between 31 years old to 40 years old with their education level was only at the primary school with 6 to 10 years of experience in pesticide handling. Score method was used to determine the farmer's knowledge, attitude and practices and it shows that 72% of the respondent has a high level of pesticides handling knowledge along with good attitudes and practices. Correlation analysis suggesting that the more experience they have, the higher knowledge on pesticide usage they gain and makes them a better user. However based on the interviewed this was more on transfer knowledge of routine daily works from their senior or worker before them. Some of them also experience symptoms of positioning such as itchiness, nausea and headache direct after spraying signifying that sometimes the daily practice was just not in line with their knowledge and the good pesticide handling practice which implemented by the local authorities.