The question I asked my final-year students in my pest management course nearly 30 years ago is the caption of this piece.
I had no idea that I would eventually need to ask the same question to the entire country. In fact, it is now necessary for everyone to examine pesticide use critically.
The question split the class into two groups, with one group finding the subject challenging and treating it as a curse, much like pesticides are to man when not utilized properly. Since they graduated from the university, the members of this group have given me the moniker "Pesticides: Boon or Bane? Discuss."
The pupils who were able to answer the question, however, saw it as a benefit (kooko), as pesticides are, in fact, beneficial.
Because pesticides are used carelessly in Ghana as if they are not hazardous, which they are, the majority of Ghanaians can be classified as the second category of pupils.
Unprotected guy spraying without wearing gloves
views on the usage of pesticides
Pesticides, such as insecticides, rodenticides, and herbicides, are widely used to manage mosquitoes, mice, and weeds in and around our houses, from our bedrooms to other living areas.
On our farms and in our gardens, fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides are regularly used to ensure great quality and yields.
Human work has almost entirely been replaced by herbicides, which are not only incredibly costly but also scarce and unreliable.
It is astonishing to see individuals seated casually in spaces that have been fumigated with coil smoke or sprayed with pesticides that have a nice aroma, as if an air freshener has been applied.
Sadly, they are silently and slowly murdering themselves. However, the overpoweringly intense scent of a pesticide acts as a warning for people to stay away from potentially dangerous locations that have been sprayed, especially at home, for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
Farmers
Many of our farmers hold varying opinions concerning pesticides; some believe they are harmless to humans and only detrimental to pests.
Many people believe that it is impossible to detect pesticides put on plants. Many people think that little amounts of pesticides on the skin have no impact on the body. As a result, they have believed that wearing protective equipment when applying insecticides is not necessary.
They think that one may stop spraying, consume food or liquids, and then resume spraying.
According to them, it is not always required to wash your hands and your clothing after applying pesticides, nor is it necessary to follow pre-harvest intervals for pesticides, which is the period of time given for sprayed pesticides on agricultural produce to degrade before the product is harvested for human consumption.
Farmers also have the opinion that pesticides can be removed from vegetables by washing them, and that it's OK to use pesticide containers for salt and cooking oil after cleaning them as well as for drinking.
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