Impact of - IDL-BNC @ IDRC - International Development Research ...

carbamates, and especially pyrethroids. The fungicides are primarily copper
based. In the west, both groups are used on coffee and vegetable crops to
conserve seeds and food products. In the south, they are used only on cocoa
crops and, in the central province, by vegetable and cocoa growers.
The insecticides used in homes have a pyrethroid base. In the west, centre, and
south, 70%, 62%, and 76%, respectively, of people surveyed used household
insecticides. Unlike northern Cameroon, raising livestock and small animals
is not common in the three regions under study. However, to kill poultry
ectoparasites, dog ticks, human chiggers, and head lice, 29%, 29%, and 18% of
the people interviewed in the west, centre, and south, respectively, used
pesticides of the organochloride, organophosphate, and pyrethroid groups.
Insecticides were used against flying insects (tse-tse flies, rnosquitos, blackflies,
etc), crawling insects (cockroaches), and other household pests by 44%,
43%, and 17% of respondents in the west, centre, and south, respectively.
People used organochloride, organophosphorous, and especially pyrethroid
insecticides as well as rodenticides.
Timing and duration of treatment were usually not according to recommendations,
because the insecticides were received late or because of seasonal
variations in rainfall patterns. A high percentage (86%, 62%, and 83% of
respondents in the west, centre, and south, respectively) admitted that they
did not allow for any time lag, or no more than 1 week, between the last
application of insecticide and the harvest, increasing the likelihood of pesticide
residues in harvested food.
In antifungal treatments administered by users, 100%, 70%, and 80% of
respondents in the west, centre, and south, respectively, increased the dosage
beyond that indicated on the product package. Recommended dosages were
respected when insecticide treatments were applied by employees of government
agencies or state-owned enterprises. The number of treatments was,
however, not usually respected in applications to vegetable and cash crops in
the three provinces; they may be increased or decreased, depending on the
user.
Application methods included spraying by users or thermonebulization or
misting by the staff in agricultural stations. None of the users had adequate
protection, even though some reported that they were aware of the risks they
incurred in handling pesticides. Many of them drank milk after applying
pesticides, but were unaware that this practice has been discredited.
In many cases, pesticide containers were not properly disposed of - 66%,
76%, and 75% of users in the west, centre, and south, respectively, discarded
their empty containers in water, on the plantation, or in the bush. In rare
instances, drums and barrels that had contained pesticides were reused for
other purposes or sold.
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