DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2023.v10i03.001

Pages: 19-24

Nowadays farmers use more and more chemical pesticides and fertilizer per acre of land in return to maximize crop production. Crop Protection from various types of pests and weeds is another concerning issue. Climate also plays more significant role by increasing temperature, it multiplies the use of insecticides. Excessive use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides pollutes the environment simultaneously and it also affects the food chain and human health. Farmer is the primary user of chemical inputs in the field. Therefore, this study aims to analyze farmers' knowledge and information related to safety concern of agrochemical uses and their impact on the environment and human health. The data of this cross-sectional study has been collected from randomly selected 50 farmers of Amdanga Block of North 24 Pargana district, West Bengal through a semi-structured interview schedule. In this study, it has been found that 54% of farmers use crop-wise fertilizer more than the recommended amount; only 10% of farmers abstain from chemical fertilizer use. There is a significant relationship between crop-wise fertilizer use and the application of weedicides and pesticides to the environment. The farmers who are using this kind of chemical pesticides reported severe environmental hazards like 62% of farmers observe any birds extinction surrounding their agricultural field, 36% responded that the water quality of the pond nearest to the agricultural field deteriorates and 28% reported occurrence of fish death and 36% farmer reported that on monsoon season their field water goes to low water region (Bil) and contaminate water. On the other hand, most of the respondents experience health issues like nausea, headache, and skin problem immediately after spraying on the field. It has been also found that 62% of respondents knew that the use of pesticides and weedicides impacts our health. Still, only 40% always use any protective measure while spraying on the field. ..............