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Promoting the safe use of pesticides
in Thailand
T. Boonlue
Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University,
Bangkok, Thailand
The benefits derived through the use of pesticides in Thailand have been
accompanied by environmental and human-health costs because of
improper usage. Efficient and effective communication programs are
necessary to impart knowledge, change attitudes, and adapt appropriate
technology for use by farmers. Communication objectives havefourfunctions:
message delivery; group communication;feed back and feedforward;
and organizational intercommunication. The Thai communication system
has served all four functions. However, problems stillexist. Communicators
lack persuasive skills and have limited access to audiovisual
materials. The feedback and feed forward mechanisms necessary for
effective communication and systematic program evaluation are rarely
implemented. Communication experts, researchers, training specialists,
curriculum-development experts, and program evaluators must join
forces to develop effective communication programs for the safe use of
pesticides.
As an agricultural country, Thailand is accelerating efforts to increase food
production to meet both national consumption needs and to generate a
surplus for sale abroad. In every 5-year National Economic and Social Development
Plan, the government has affirmed its aim of increasing agricultural
production; for the 1987-1991 plan, the target increment was increased to 2.9%
per year. All sectors and agencies involved in agriculture are working toward
realizing this goal. Various strategies include crop improvement, better management
of agricultural zones, and extension of (arm land (DOAE 1985).
Ideally, agricultural targets should be achieved by increasing crop yields per
unit of land already under cultivation. New farm land is scarce, or otherwise
limited, making a strategy of expansion untenable. Moreover, the expansion
of cultivation is often detrimental to forested areas and watersheds.
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