FARMERS PERCEPTION ON THE USE OF PESTICIDE EMPTY CONTAINERS IN ITAS-GADAU, JAMA’ARE, AND KATAGUM LGA’S OF BAUCHI STATE

ABSTRACT This study titled “Pesticide Container Handling Behavior of Farmers in Bauchi Metropolis” examined farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the handling and disposal of pesticide containers in Bauchi State, Nigeria. The main purpose was to assess the extent of safe and unsafe pesticide container management among farmers and to identify the socio-economic and institutional factors influencing their behavior. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, involving 450 randomly selected registered farmers across three Local Government Areas—Itas/Gadau, Jama’are, and Katagum. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and Binary Logistic Regression. The results revealed that although 97.78% of respondents were aware of the dangers of improper container handling, unsafe practices such as reusing containers for domestic purposes (89.91%) and open burning (40.89%) were still prevalent. Factors such as education level, farming experience, and access to extension services significantly influenced safe disposal behavior. The findings indicated a gap between knowledge and practice, driven largely by economic constraints, lack of disposal facilities, and weak regulatory enforcement. The study concluded that without adequate infrastructure and continuous farmer education, unsafe pesticide container practices will persist, posing serious health and environmental risks. It recommended enhanced farmer training, provision of collection and disposal facilities, promotion of affordable alternative containers, and strengthened policy enforcement to improve pesticide safety management.