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

Crop yields per unit of land can be increased in several ways. Output can be
increased through improved agricultural technology and the use of fertilizers,
herbicides, and pesticides. Using pesticides to reduce crop losses to pests is
the most popular strategy used by farmers. The increased production and
profits possible through the use of pesticides makes them very attractive. As
an input that requires relatively little investment in terms of capital and labour,
pesticides have become widely used in Thailand.
However, the overuse of pesticides has had many negative consequences:
public health has been threatened through the consumption of food contaminated
with chemicals; insects have built up resistance to normal doses of
pesticides; the equilibrium of the field ecosystem has been upset through the
unintentional killing of insects that prey on pests; and environmental pollution
has resulted.
Importation, distribution, and uses
Insecticides are used mainly on rice, vegetables, and cotton; fungicides are
used on fruit trees, vines, vegetables, rice, and orchids. The herbicide market
focuses on sugarcane, pineapple, rubber plantations, and rice. Data compiled
by interviewing 324 farmers who grew various pulse crops in 1983, revealed
that 99.7% of farmers in six northern provinces (Uttaradit, Phichit,
Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan, Kamphaeng Phet, and Sukhothai) used pesticides
on their crops (Unjitwatana 1984). In 1985, Thailand imported 17 379 t
of pesticides with a value of 1 572 million THB (Thai bhatt).
Pesticides are distributed locally by both the government and the private
sector. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) distributes pesticides
free of charge to the end users through its official regional network. The
private sector sells to farmers through the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives and depends, to a large extent, on local agrochemical
dealers. The number of private-sector pesticide-distribution points in the
country is estimated at more than 2 000. The marketing channels include
dealers at provincial, district, and village levels.
If they can afford it, subsistence and near-subsistence farmers purchase pesticides
at the nearest retailer as soon as a pest appears. According to a 1985
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives survey of the eastern provinces,
about 70% of the farmers relied on the retailer to advise which pesticides to
use. Most of these retailers have no training other than that provided by the
pesticide companies. This often results in a bias in favour of certain companies'
products, which are not necessarily the best or least toxic for the job. The
remaining 30% of farmers stated that they relied on chemicals used effectively
by neighbours and recommendations from extension personnel.
If a pesticide is not effective, farmers usually return to the retailer for another
substance. This cycle is repeated until an obvious positive effect (e.g., dead
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