Pesticide Safety Assessment for Nigeria Assignment Number ...

Final Report For Winrock International

Pesticide Safety Assessment

for Nigeria Assignment Number:

NIG329

By Maria Alfaro

April 2016

Table of Contents

Abbreviations

Introduction 1

Summary 2

Visitation 1 10

Visitation 2 16

Visitation 3 19

Visitation 4 24

Visitation 5 26

Visitation 6 27

Visitation 7 36

Visitation 8 41

Visitation 9 42

Visitation 10 45

Visitation 11 48

Appendix A Expired Materials 50

Appendix B Questions for SON 52

Appendix C SSP Concept 54

Appendix D Training Agenda 55

ABBREVIATIONS ADP -- Agricultural Development Programme EW-- Extension Worker -- State employees hired to do community outreach and education in rural communities. IAR - Institute for Agricultural Research in Ibadan, Nigeria IFAD -- International Fund for Agricultural Development IITA - International Institute for Tropical Agriculture LTT -- Local Transport & Travel; name of ADP budget set aside for EW to use to travel to rural communities. MIK--The liaison between the farmers and staff at Babban Gona (BG) in Ikara, Kaduna State. The term, MIK, comes from the local language, Mullura Da Ingantaccen Kungivar, MIK), which means caretaker of a group. NAFDAC -- National Agency for Food & Drug Administration Council NAI -- National Agriculture Institute NFSP -- National Food Security Program PADP -- Plateau Agricultural Development Programme PHI -- Pre-Harvest Interval PPE -- Personal Protective Equipment REI -- Restricted Entry Interval SON -- Standard Organization of Nigeria SSP -- Spray Service Providers in Akure, Ondo State; Sponsored by Croplife T2 -- Train-the-Trainer

Introduction

Each chapter, or visitation, recounts the visit or visits that took place on a

particular date, location(s) and gives as much information about with whom

we met or with whom spoke.

Each visit is documented as a separate chapter titled Visitation 1-11. There is

only one exception: Visitation 4. Visitation 4 took place on the same day as

Visitation 3, however, it was a long day and we visited with an individual

completely unrelated to our host early that day. Out of convenience, that

day was split into different accounts.

This seemed to be the best manner to allow the differences between regions

to emerge and be noticed. Each region shared many commonalities as well

as stark differences. Each visitation is its own story.

Pesticide Safety Assessment for Nigeria Assignment Number: NIG329

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Summary

As pesticide safety trainers, we prepare to teach to different levels of knowledge, understanding and learning methods. This project adds an additional layer of knowledge to teach, namely, the importance and benefits of IPM. This is a list of the training goals given these parameters. A successful pesticide safety and IPM workshop will accomplish the following: There will be a lasting change in attitudes towards IPM practices and the safe use of pesticides. In addition to change in attitude, is a lasting change in behaviors towards IPM practices and the safe use of pesticides. Farmers will change their habits; they will establish new, healthier routines to take into account the new knowledge around IPM and pesticide use. An effective training brings awareness of health risks in a manner in which farmers can easily relate to their everyday lives. They must be motivated and guided continuously to make changes necessary to protect themselves and their families from pesticide residues. Findings & Conclusions IPM vs Pesticides The current thought process is as follows: there is a sense of urgency to make money (rightfully so); the fastest way to that ends is by increasing crop production as quickly as possible. The African man doesn’t have time for IPM. Pesticides work well and fast, without little to any regard for safety. The message needs to be driven home that pesticides are designed to kill, so that farmers are more aware of the effects pesticide use MAY have. There is a great need for training on pesticide safety as it relates to farmers out in the field, information on take home of residues and exposing family members to residues, need to change habits/behavior around re-use of empty pesticide containers. People vs Government Many times people said that the government has abandoned them, that we, or I, need to ask government to help, that if the materials are give for free, they will use them. My response was and will be, "you cannot wait for anybody to come and help save you or


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your family. There are simple routine habits that can help protect you and your family. Start now." I can't implore the necessity of driving home the message of personal responsibility. The message must be shared in a manner that empowers the individual and community: you are responsible for your family's health and safety, just like you want to provide for them. Therefore, you MUST follow basic precautions to avoid (over) exposure to pesticides and from taking pesticide residues home. Bridges to be Built Local government officials have little confidence that farmers will change behavior or attitude; farmer has no incentive to change behavior. Officials believe farmers are in a hurry and won't take time for safety considerations. I am not sure if this situation arose due to endemic socio-political and economic issues, or because of past ineffective trainings. The easier place to start addressing the misunderstandings is by ensuring that Extension Workers are trained properly, effectively and in a timely manner. EWs must know that changes in attitude and behavior need time. Cultural clash and trust issues between educated EW and the (non-educated) farmer. Some trust issues: farmers see EW as the government, and there’s a huge gap between farmer and government. EW doesn’t have resources or government support, and farmers believe that the PADP has resources but not imparting them. There is little to no trust in the government and local EW are viewed as being "part of the government". This leads to cultural clashes between EW and farmers in some regions. With time and effective training some of these issues can be mitigated. Another gap of understanding has more of a cultural foundation: it is widely believed that a glass of milk can protect or undo (potential) harm caused by exposure or accidental ingestion of pesticides. We talked briefly about cultural beliefs surrounding neutralizing the negative effects of pesticide exposure, drinking milk after spraying or drinking (red) palm oil. People still use both these methods. There is a belief across the country that milk can counteract the effects of pesticide poisoning. I was told that some chemical sellers advise farmers to drink milk after applying herbicides to reduce the effects of possible exposure, or as they put it, "to make them feel better." No one could tell me where that stems from but many attest to its effectiveness. I tried explaining that perhaps it offers a temporary feeling of relief but the long-term effects remain to be seen. Another cultural belief and practice is drinking or using (red) palm oil on irritated skin after exposure. These cultural practices need to be addressed in any training on pesticide safety in a manner that embraces the practice AND adds to the need for protection in other (more) effective ways. It is imperative to stay away from dismissing these cultural beliefs completely. Otherwise, international staff will hold no credibility and risk alienating


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farmers. No learning and exchange of knowledge can take place under these conditions. In some situations this will take time for people to see that it can work in different ways.

Signage

One other cultural practice I learned about in Visitation 7: In Ondo state, it is natural and customary for people to help themselves from others' plots without asking. We were told a tragic story of a family of 12 that all died because parents picked vegetables out of (what we assumed to be a recently sprayed) plot, went home to prepare food and they all died. There is no signage/posting warning of the pesticide application indicating to folks to keep out. One very simple precaution is the use of handmade KEEP OUT signage. This is fairly simple to implement and can save lives immediately. The customs of taking from other's plots is a beautiful practice to be honored and with one small effort, it doesn't need to change.

PPE

There was conflicting information or reporting of information on the availability of PPE. Some folks said it was available in the open market, others indicated that PPE was available at local pesticide distributor shops, or through the distributors. I didn't see any PPE for sale at any of the distributors. I did not go to the local market. Down in (cocoa beans), farmers brought some PPE. Armajaro provided PPE down in Ondo State (Visitation 9).

Women in Agriculture

On various occasions men told me that "we" must make sure that the money goes to the women. One gentleman said, "We all know that the women must take care of the finances." I felt the need to ask for clarification to which he replied, " If the money goes to the man, he will spend it on a new car, or getting another wife. If the woman gets the money, she will make sure her family's needs are met."

I believe this to be true of information on protecting the family from pesticide residues. Mrs. Comfort Owoade in Visitation 7 further supported this. The most effective way to help make changes is to go through the women. Mrs. Owoade confirmed that the women ensure that the family's needs are the first priority.

Illness Reporting

When discussing fatal pesticide exposure cases, I was told about a tragic story of livestock feeding on grasses around contaminated water source and dying. In that same region, I was told there aren’t many cases of people exposed to pesticides (Visitation 6). In other regions, I did hear about a family and guests of the family dying after eating contaminated corn meal (Visitation 1 in Plateau State). This was an obvious case of


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accidental poisoning and people took notice. What about the cases where the symptoms of exposure go unnoticed due to lack of information? This is why I am certain that the rate of exposure is much higher. The actual rate of exposure is nearly impossible to determine if farmers do not recognize the symptoms of exposure. My speculation of a much higher rate of exposure is compounded by the fact that there is no mechanism in states, or the country that I could ascertain, to gather statistics on exposure.

Pesticide Safety Information

There is really no reliable and comprehensive source of information on pesticide safety. In one region (see visit summary 3), a private enterprise offers some advice on PPE. Unfortunately, it is not comprehensive or thorough. Furthermore, there's no illness reporting, which also means there is no mandated reporting by doctors to government. Numbers of pesticide exposure/illness/death cases are unknown. If there's no record, no case can be made in favor of establishing pesticide safety requirements.

Ratio EW to Farmers

There is an extremely high ratio of EW to Farmer. The World Bank standard stands at 1 EW: 800 farmers, and currently ratio is 1:6-7,000 (Visitation 2). The EW have very scarce resources to work with and cannot possibly meet the demand of the farmers. Possible solution is to introduce ICT through E-extension. One way is to have farmers gather, be it through community leaders, church leaders and such, and used different technologies (live streaming, recorded trainings) to conduct onsite trainings. This will still require a "live" trainer in case people have questions. This method will broaden the outreach. There is still the issue of the level of mobility of farmers. Will they be able to get to the meeting (training) site?

Frequency of trainings of EW is sporadic, not frequent enough to be effective. The training of farmers in many cases is also not sufficient to make lasting changes in behavior. There needs to be a more intensive and comprehensive training schedule to help change tide.

Information Dissemination

There is a lack of coordination in providing services and information to EW and to farmers. The sources exist, namely, universities and knowledgeable staff, research institutes, environmentalists, and other international socio-economic development organizations. While some mechanisms in place for the dissemination of information, the mechanisms are not sufficient. The information is not getting to EW, and definitely not getting to farmers.


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Effective Training

The training provided by Croplife in the state of Ondo (Summary 9) has made a significant difference in the lives of these farmers. It was clear that the information was delivered in a very effective manner leading to positive, lasting changes in behaviors and habits. This is the mark of an effective training! This model can be expanded throughout other regions of the country.

Here is an example of an ineffective training: in Ikara, Kaduna (Visitation 3), upon hearing what the MIKs teach farmers, it would appear as if the farmers participating in this venture receive more information about safety (relative to farmers not participating in private sector ventures). That relative advantage or additional information/knowledge was not translated into safer pesticide handling or use on farms. There was some inconsistency between what the MIKs indicated they taught farmers about pesticide safety and the farmers' habits or behaviors.

Recommendations

F2F Program

The first step in developing effecitve trainings on pesticide safety and IPM is to capitalize on the innovative structures some regions already have in place, in the local community and traditional structures, to help train farmers. This would include mediums of disseminating information such as radio, tv spots or via respected community/religious leaders. Choosing to train farmers this way does away with depending on government, whether for finances and labor, empowering at the grassroots level, creating self-sufficiency.

Support the creation and sustain demonstration gardens.

F2F using volunteers

Always include the women in training and learning opportunities.

Look at the structure and management of successful programs such as the one in Ondo state coordinated by Wale Awoyemi, and attempt to replicate it in other regions. Word of caution: if all programs move towards ONLY producing products for export, this will greatly reduce the variety of agricultural production, intensify land use and lead to land degradation, and can result in reducing the available ag products for local and national consumption. These, of course, are long-term considerations.


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Some programs have a great structure in place for training and teaching pesticide safety to farmers. However, that knowledge or information is not being translated into behavior changes.

Provide comprehensive T2 workshops, and ensure that new trainers are supported so that they can continue to train more effectively.

Frequency of trainings of EW is sporadic, not frequent enough to be effective. The training of farmers in many cases is also not sufficient to make lasting changes in behavior. There needs to be a more intensive and comprehensive training schedule to help change tide.

Private Sector

Continue to create opportunities for farmers to work cooperatively, as is the case with Romarey Venutres, where resources are pooled and made more affordable, and at the SAME TIME, farmer safety and protection are paramount.

Continue to provide training and learning opportunities for farmers and their families. Expand theopportunities for farmers to become certified applicators and handlers.

F2F could suggest to the USAID Mission and Nigerian Government

Farming is very important economic factor in rural Nigeria; Need to develop and implement outreach campaigns on pesticide safety including message of personal responsibility.

Create opportunities for collaboration between government, local government, private sector and international NGO's to thrive.

If USAID Mission wants to continue working with organizations on ground, fully understand the culture and work with specific nature. For example, know that women ensure the economic success of the family as opposed to man using any (bit of) extra cash to marry again, or purchase a car.

Implement work-related illness reporting mechanism to track pesticide poisoning cases. A mandated reporting mechanism for doctors needs to be established so that illness reporting can be an effective tool for control of impacts due to unsafe practices. If you can't see the harm, there is no sense of urgency to address the issue.

In Jos, recommendation directed to ADP: Farmers indicated that they would like to see a demonstration garden to learn about safe & effective pesticide use. Establish collaboration between university and ADP to share knowledge, resources and staff to make demonstration garden a successful reality.


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Implement uniform labeling of pesticide products with AT MINIMUM crucial information about REI, PHI, and minimum PPE. Require training so that this information is disseminated to farmers.

Government must acknowledge the necessity of protecting farmers, and explore methods of mandating PPE and facilitating accessibility of PPE to farmers, via research institutes and/or universities. Create and expand opportunities for farmersto become certified applicators and handlers.

During Visitation 6, we attempted to contact SON. Appendix B, a list of questions submitted to SON in hopes that they could provide us with more answers. The questions reflect where there is work to be done. We never received a reply.

Others

Important for universities to connect with ADP and address concerns about soil quality and long-term effects of chemicals in the soil and drift.

The following recommendation is directed to private sector, USAID mission, and the government of Nigeria:

There are brilliant minds and entrepreneurial spirits conducting research to discover ways to help farmers reduce the amount of pesticides used, increase their yield and work the land in a sustainable manner while working to protect the health of farmers and their communities.

It was inspiring to speak with Mr. Aliyu Lere (Visitation 4) about all the research he's doing and the potential his research holds for helping farmers. This is a case where the knowledge needs to be disseminated to the masses. Mr. Aliyu Lere needs support to help spread his knowledge. He has done the research to figure out what works well in the region. Government, universities and outside agencies (i.e. USAID) need to capitalize on the work already done and knowledge locals have. This form of cooperation empowers the community, which in turn generates more participation and responsibility in further developing the local community socially and economically.

The following recommendations as expressed by Dr. Sa’idu Aliyu, Provost of Ag College (Zaria) are for multiple players as indicated in each entry:


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Any extension work to farmers in this state (Zaria) should be done in the following format and through the following routes to be most effective:

1) Recommendation for all agencies or parties involved in development work: Usetraditional bodies to get info out to the community. Religious and village heads(community leaders) are highly respected and people will take more heed.

2) Recommendation for government and public sector agents (universities): Useradio to disseminate information because people listen to the radio often and a lot.

3) Recommendation for all agencies and parties involved in development work: Usedifferent methods of instruction. It is imperative that whomever comes to train isversed in teaching to different learning modalities, and understands how adultslearn. Visual aids work best; Back in the days when extension work was beingdone, extension workers would project the info at night after farmers returnedfrom work.

4) Recommendation for all agencies and parties involved in development work:Keep cultural gap in mind and ensure that it is bridged- lack of trust betweenfarmers, extension workers and educated staff. Select villages, set up a trial plotto see difference between new and old methods of farming and continue toorganize field days. Hands-on and interactive learning.

5) Recommendation for government, educational institutions, and private sector:Remember that instructions on label aren’t clear, not easy to follow and farmerswill adjust rates b/c they want a higher yield.

6) Recommendation for educational institutions and private sector: Incorporate IPMmethods and also traditional knowledge, and gave example of how neem leavesare used to control pests. Another example given, is how ground nuts (peanuts)are used to control termites. Nuts attract ants, and the ants drive the termites out(used more in household farming).

The following recommendation(s) are made to the Nigerian government and international standards organizations:

Work together to streamline the pesticide label safety information in such a way that it benefits the Nigerian farmer and those who will be training them.


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Visitation 1

Date: Tuesday November 24, 2015

Company/Host: Romarey Seed Company

Met with: Nanker Panmun-‐ Romarey Agro Store manger; Farmers-‐ Sunday Dakwa, Sunday G. Dagil, Amos S. Wetpil (crops: maize, rice, soya beans, and Irish potato; PADP-‐ Plateau Agricultural Development Programme: Danladi Joshua, Romarey Cooperative Union Manager. (5 farmers, 3 staff) Longcat (Shedam)-‐ met with about 30 farmers (20 men, 10 women) at the home of one of the most respected farmers in that community. (Crops: Irish potato, maize, fish)

Location: Plateau State (From Jos to Mangu, then on to smaller villages); Mangu (first visit); Longcat (Shedam) (second visit)

Mark, with Romarey Ventures, took us to visit their store and speak with farmers participating in the cooperative. Romarey works with farmers now for at least 3-‐5 years and asks farmers to adhere to particular guidelines in producing seeds and in use of chemicals. Romarey buys back seed at a higher rate than open market. Romarey offers their co-‐op members discounts on pesticides, plus advice on how to use chemicals available at the Romarey store. They advise their members to purchase chemicals from reputable distributors otherwise they run the risk of unknowingly buying expired or reduced potency chemicals in the open market.

This community feels forgotten by their government. They asked that we demand that their government provide more resources. I indicated that safe use of pesticides is so important that they can't wait for the government to take the initiative. There is a higher percentage of farmers in this area that are illiterate, lack mobility and they don't know who to contact when in need of information (EW or someone else).

I spoke to ADP personnel, and the current ratio of farmer to extension worker is 1:3.000; the extension workers are spread too thin. In the good times, it used to be 1:500. There are not enough resources. Plus the fact that farmers view extension workers as part of government and because farmers haven’t seen EW in over 10 years, farmers assume that EW get resources from government but they don’t extend them to field. EW also lack mobility to reach farmers in far outlaying areas. In years past EW would get reimbursement for travel costs and/or motorbikes to increase mobility and thus accessibility to farmers in far outlaying areas. This is no longer the case.


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I asked Romarey staff and ADP personnel about government regulation of pesticides and both replied that there is no regulation.

Pesticides

There are agro-‐input supply dealers, and many disreputable sellers at the “open market” (local market). Sale of counterfeit pesticides, pesticides that are repackaged, pesticides without labels occur at the open market. Farmers go there in an effort to cut their costs because the pesticides are less expensive. The open market distributors carry both legitimate products and fake products. Fake products are given to illiterate farmers. When farmers come back to complain that the product didn’t work, seller claims that farmer didn’t use it appropriately.

Farmers get their (limited) information on pesticide us from the store manager and the distributor that sells the products. They are advised on rates and which herbicide to use on which crop/weeds.

Farmers that are members of the Romarey Cooperative are encouraged to purchase chemicals from the cooperative store. We met with Nanker Panmun who is the Romarey Agro store Manager. She is trained in the application and rates but was not familiar with different toxicity levels, or the pictograms on the label.

I asked her and others if they knew what pictures of labels with WHO level II or III classification meant, or if they understood the signal words. No one knew the meaning. Neither store manager nor farmers knew to look for this information.

Figure 1 Pesticides at Romarey shop


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Here's a partial list of some of active ingredients /Chemicals sold in Romarey shop: Chlorpyrifos,Atrazine, Ultrachlor, Paraquat, Prefenofos+Cypermethrin, Ridomil Gold, Dichlorvos, lambda cyhalothrin, glyphosate, one organic product, carbaryl. Signal words found on some products: harmful, danger poison.

I asked Romarey staff about how they dispose of obsolete product. Staff is trained to pour excess chemical in a hole in the ground and cover it up far from farmland and burn empty containers. This is the advice they give farmers to prevent the empty containers being reused to sell fake product.

Later this same day when we visited another small village and spoke to farmers about disposal of empties, I was told that parents rinsed out containers and sent them to school filled with water with their children.

When asked about storage, most farmers indicated that they usually store the equipment at the farm, not in locked storage. They usually leave them on the farm under a tree. They do not use signage because it increases chances of chemical getting stolen. Best security is no sign.

PPE

I got conflicting messages about the availability of PPE, some people said it was easy to come by at the open market, at least gloves. Others said it was not readily available. I didn’t see any PPE offered at Romarey shop.

We visited the Romarey store and there were 3-‐5 farmers present. Of these only one indicated he used PPE, which was rain boots (rubber) from open market, and a mask purchased at the Romarey shop. They find it is too costly to purchase and it is inconvenient to wear. As a result, neither applicators nor famers use PPE during mixing or while applying pesticides.

Pesticide Application & Certified Applicators

There is no program in the country to certify applicators. There are no trained applicators. Farmers apply on their own fields and they do not receive training. Many see their neighbors and friends using knapsack and they figure they can use it or do it, too.

If farmers hire someone to spray, they feel it is necessary to monitor that the “applicator” doesn’t over-‐dilute (to be able to take some of the product home—basically steal product from farmers).


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Children as young as 15 years old, or farmers themselves will apply chemicals using knapsack sprayer. When asked if they can get spare parts, they said they are not easy to come by. Some farmers keep unused pesticide in knapsack, which means that equipment is not being cleaned before storing. Very few farmers are cleaning equipment. In small community of Longcat, both men and women spray fields.

IPM

When asked if other methods of control were used, they said no. Farmers are not using IPM because pesticides work better, faster and are more efficient.

There aren't sufficient government resources to provide IPM training to farmers. The private sector, in this case Romarey, provides some IPM methods (i.e. resistant seed) but IPM information is limited. Information provided by private sector is limited to rates and application. Little attention is given to safe use of pesticides.

Pesticide Safety Information Offered

During the visit with approximately 30 farmers, I asked them to share stories of anyone they knew that had gotten sick after using or accidentally ingesting pesticides. We heard tragic stories of pesticides being stored in the kitchen, falling into the corn meal and the family's children and guests dying from ingesting contaminated food. I made link for farmers that pesticides are designed to kill, and if not used properly or if they are not protected, they can become the target, get ill or worse. This message seemed to shock/surprise them. They had not given it that much thought.

I was told that parents rinsed out containers and sent them to school filled with water with their children. I told them that if there was ONLY ONE thing they could change right away, it should be to stop re-‐using empty pesticides container for any type of storage (food or liquids).


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Figure 2 Longcat farmers

I asked if they were aware of residues and if they realized that they can take them home to family. They didn't know and I explained this to farmers. I also explained how they can decontaminate before entering their homes, and embracing family members, to prevent contaminating their loved ones.

During our visit at Longcat, where farms are located right around the living compounds, farmers expressed concern about the strong smell of chemicals that just lingers and asked if they needed to be concerned. I explained the concept of drift and it is a good time and not so good time to spray. Women indicated that sometimes they feel dizzy, and sick for a couple of days then they feel better. Some farmers indicated that they feel better after drinking a cup of milk. They seem to have been advised that a cup of milk will neutralize the effects pesticide exposure. I shared symptoms of pesticide exposure, and acute and chronic toxicity.

Farmers indicated that they would love to see a demonstration garden where they can learn new farming methods, new methods of control, how to apply pesticides correctly.


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A man shared the belief that “small disease does not kill African man”. I explained that while that may be the case with a disease, pesticides are designed to kill and if not handled properly, it will kill a man no matter how big and strong. Pesticides do not distinguish between African and non-‐African life.

Observations Farmers are not properly trained to use pesticides effectively nor how to protect themselves. What little information provided by the private sector is limited to rates and timing of applications. That information is not sufficient to keep farmers and their families safe. There is very little regulation and control of safe and effective use of pesticides.


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Visitation 2 Date: November 25, 2015 Company/Host: PADP-‐ Plateau Agriculture Development Program Met with: Engineer Philip, Luka Kefos, Director of Technical Service PADP Jos, Yate D. Dakop, Director Rural Institutional Development; Dunladi Malla, Research Officer, PADP; Donatus Danglong Location: Jos, Plateau State

Figure 3 Visit with PADP staff

Training Schedule and Availability It was explained that the EW has a monthly technical review meeting, and they have guest speakers from various research institutes such as the National Agriculture Institute (NAI). NAI trains EW then the EW carries it down to farmers. They feel that their staff needs Trainer-‐to-‐Trainer workshops to pass the information along better. Current training regime is twice per year and training topics relate to planting: pre-‐ and mid-‐season. The pre-‐season training is the more important one due to timing. There’s no regular training schedule for IPM trainings.


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Director of Extension reported that there is abuse of pesticide and little to no regard for safe use because the farmer is in a hurry and they have not been successful in effecting change in the farmer's behavior. They are excited about an organic pesticide that will be coming on the market soon; recently vested by NAFDAC (National Agency for Food & Drug Administration Council) and has been through Federal Government. Pesticide Regulation Two institutes that “approve” pesticides: SON – Standard Organization of Nigeria and supposed to be monitored by NAFDAC, from whom they get a registration number approving the chemical as “safe”. These agencies approve pesticides but there is no further regulation of import, distribution, use, and disposal of pesticides. There is in essence no regulation of chemical companies. Fake chemical label are sometimes in a foreign language, for example from Cameroun, so the labels are in French. The only type of "enforcement" is by way of PADP advising farmers to burn or bury empty containers, or expired products. Leverage private sector initiatives to promote safety. Some distributors sell to pesticide hawkers to recuperate cost and this is how expired products make it back into the market with new (read fake) label. Farmers are deceived into using expired goods. Farmers know they are illegitimate because the products are not effective in field. Farmer is at the mercy of seller without any consumer protection or legal recourse. Pesticide dealers offer minimal support to local farmers and the community. PPE is not readily available; in past distributors did carry PPE but PADP speculates that sales were not high enough and so no longer offered. ADP advises farmers to wear the following to serve as PPE: rain boots, raincoat, gloves, and mask. Wholesalers used to supply PPE (at least gloves) with purchase of chemicals, but they stopped. No illness reporting, so also no mandated reporting by doctors to government. Numbers of pesticide exposure/illness/death cases are unknown. If there's no record, one cannot argue in favor of pesticide safety requirements. When asked if the PADP knew of pesticide poisoning cases, they share a story about paraquat in getting into food and poisoning a whole family. This points to the problem of safe pesticide storage, and farmers not well informed.


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Cultural clash and trust issues between educated EW and the non-‐educated farmer. Some trust issues: farmers see EW as government, and there’s a huge gap between farmer and government. EW doesn’t have resources nor government support, and farmers believe that the PADP has resources but not imparting them. There’s no state mandate for PADP to certify applicators. In 2014, there was a federal government youth unemployment intervention program under the Ag Transformation Agenda to train youth how to spray and they received a knapsack, but shortly thereafter, there was a change in government and that initiative ended. Despite EW attendance at trainings, the problem is getting the information to the farmers due difficult to lack of mobility of both farmer and EW, and the high EW to farmer ratios. The World Bank standard stands at 1 EW: 800 farmers, and currently ratio is 1:6-‐7,000. Possible solution is ICT solution with E-‐extension.


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Visitation 3 Date: November 27, 2015 Company/Host: Babban Gona (BG) Met with: Bitrus Audu, Assistant Member Service Supervisor BG, Elijah Ishaku Monitoring & Evaluation, Ibrahim Abdu (MIK); John Yohanna, General Service Officer (in charge of chemical store, buying/distribution of chemicals for BG) Kanakergo met with 10 farmers (made use of a translator) Rafinatabo—Gideon Dauda, MIK and one of his 276 farmers, Mr. Yusuf Sarki Furana—Dauda Yusuf, MIK and +/-‐20 farmers Zaria – Mr. Garba Aliyu Lere, Somaru College of Agriculture (SCA) Farm Manager Location: Ikara in Kaduna State (Zaria) Met with Babban Gona (BG) They contract with over 5,000 local farmers to whom they provide (pre-‐treated) seeds, extension services, and buy/collect their produce. Main crops are maize (pre-‐treated seed), cowpea and trials with soybeans and rice. The farmers must own their land and be dedicated. BG collects 18% for administration costs plus recoup for inputs. Farmers receive guidance on land preparation, access to markets, technical advice (farming techniques), inputs (chemicals, fertilizers), and trainings on various topics. There are 3 levels of membership. The first year members receive best-‐practices and membership requirements. The first year members have limited access to loans, pesticides and other resources, which reduces the loan package. A smaller loan package reduces the chances of overburdening a farmer, supporting them towards success. The first year is the time to prove trustworthiness, willingness to comply with company guidelines, and reliability. However, these farmers are at the mercy of open market chemical suppliers. Second and third level farmers have access to loans and are provided with chemicals they need for their farms. The farmers are split into groups, which are guided and supported by MIK (this term comes from the local language). The MIK’s interact with farmers to on the ground. The MIK reports to the Assistant Member Service Supervisor and the AMSS mitigates on any personal issues that may arise between farmer and MIK. MIK offers advice to his farmers on using gloves and a mask, which equipment to use and quantity of product to use: 1.5 (150ml) tin of milk of paraquat + 2 tins of milk Atrazine for one knapsack (20L). (see pix ?? of milk tin in Visitation 4) Chemical sellers advise farmers to take milk after applying herbicides to reduce the effects of possible exposure, or as they put it, "to make them feel better." Upon further questioning it


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became clear that that is the extent of PPE advice offered to farmers. He also confirmed that mixing takes place without gloves; some farmers use gloves while applying pesticides but “even if told the ‘right way’ to do it, not all will follow that advice. The relationship between MIK and farmer is built on trust, 97% of farmers will agree and follow MIK recommendations. They hire applicators that are untrained. This is consistent with the previous visits, where we learned that there is no training program available at the national level for applicators. BG buys, stores and distributes chemicals. They distribute herbicides to farmers for control of weeds at planting season. The Trainer Development Unit trains field officers who in turn train farmers. They offer general advice on use of basic PPE-‐ gloves and masks. No advice on type of shoes. The training development unit gets trained and receives pesticide rate & use recommendations from agro-‐chem companies. There is no division of labor between men & women in this community (Ikara) meaning that both men and women are likely to spray. They follow best land preparation practices but it is not a part of a concerted IPM effort. Clear, burn, harrowing, construct ridges (75cm apart), plant seeds (20cm), and then spray if there’s enough moisture. I asked about timing of application in relation to the time of day and taking account direction of wind, but there was no indication that these were considerations at the time of pesticide applications. Traveled to Kanakergo (10 farmers, via translator) Most of these men indicated that they use a mask, a thick long-‐sleeved shirt (cotton) to spray, rubber boots (rain), or closed-‐toe shoes. The farmers indicated that they did take the wind-‐direction into consideration; after spraying they remove clothes, wash up and bathe, then drink milk at home. I asked about whether they have thought about taking residues home, and they indicated that they didn’t know about residues. I proceeded to ask about stories of pesticide exposure and a farmer responded, small disease does not kill African man! To which I responded, that may be so but pesticides are not a small disease, they are chemicals designed to kill living things, and if not used appropriately, they can/will kill the wrong thing, including men, women and children, animals.


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Traveled to Rafintabo and met with Gideon Dauda, BG MIK, and one of his farmers, Yusuf Sarki. Gideon explained that he trains his 276 farmers to wear mask, gloves, boots, and calibration (spare parts at BG shop). Their famer groups are tiered. They have 3 different trusts groups: trust group 1 is comprised of 3-‐5 farmers, groups 2 and 3 can have up to 10 farmers. Each group has a Leader and Secretary and they MUST attend trainings with MIK. The Leader and Secretary then come back to their group and pass on the information. Farmers are taught about storage of pesticides: in a cool & dry place, away from children; Gideon advises farmers to go talk to a doctor if they have burning eyes or think they inhaled pesticide; and advises to bury or burn empty containers. He said a farmer gathers the empty containers and burns them. BG provides chemicals (paraquat & atrazine); however, mostly level 1 farmers go outside of cooperative and get chemicals from the open market without guidance. BG offers them to level 1 farmers on a cash and carry basis, and not more expensive than market. Visiting the home of Yusuf Sarki. I asked Yusuf specific questions about empties, storage and availability of PPE. Empties used for water, sent with children to school –advised them NOT to do that anymore; empties need to be buried or burned; also said that some farmers sell empties to individuals that then re-‐use empties to sell fake chemicals in open market. He indicated that they can get gloves & mask in open market or from extension workers (which they haven’t seen in over 10 years); in the past, gloves and mask used to come with purchase of chemicals but not anymore. He showed us the storage shed in the back of the property (away from the main residence), dark, cool & locked.


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Figure 4 Shed in the back

Furana—Dauda Yusuf, MIK and +/-‐ 20 farmers of which one woman. Then interaction was directed to group: The “local applicator for hire” was at the meeting, dressed in pants and short-‐sleeved shirt and slippers. When asked if he sprayed dressed like this, he nonchalantly did as if he was spraying and confirmed yes. I then took him through the list of symptoms of pesticide exposure and asked if he’d experience any of them. Many farmers then confirmed that when they spray insecticides, they often feel itchy or unwell. I explained the importance of PPE and keeping themselves protected and safe. No one observed REI (many farmers indicated that once they spray they leave for the day and usually come back the following day); in this community women do NOT spray. They indicated that there is no state or local government regulating the sell or use of chemicals, the open market has their own management, and you find fake herbicides for sale. And yes, some people use the empties to drink water out of them or to store salt/pepper. Took a trip to the BG warehouse and met John Yohanna, General Service Officer (in charge of warehouse, chemical store and buying chemicals for BG), stock was very low. Just a few chemicals, I looked for PHI, REI indications on labels, some did have info,


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others did not. I asked John about the pictograms and if he knew what they meant toxic for water, animals and the skull/bones. He said no, so I explained them to him.

Figure 5 Warehouse

Summary Farmers are consistent in describing the lack of government regulation of pesticide sales, the farmers’ vulnerability to buying ineffective (i.e. expired) products, and their lack of knowledge about safety precautions when using pesticides. There was some inconsistency between what the MIKs indicated they taught farmers about pesticide safety and the farmers' habits or behaviors. Upon hearing what the MIKs teach farmers, it appears as if the farmers participating in this venture receive more information about safety (relative to farmers not participating in private sector ventures). However, there is a disconnect between the knowledge and advice imparted to farmers and the implementation of said knowledge and advice.


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Visitation 4 Date: November 27, 2015 Met with Mr. Garba Aliyu Lere, Somaru College of Agriculture (SCA) Farm Manager (University farm feeds the university staff and their families – 50-‐hectare farm at the university where rice, soyabean sorghum, and maize are grown.) Location: Ikara in Kaduna State (Zaria) Mr. Aliyu Lere has organized 7 field days (organized by Value Seed), and the last one (Aug 27, 2015) he organized was at the local village, Lere, and invited farmers to learn about mixing crops to increase output and maximize land use. He has been conducting experiments to reduce the quantity of pesticide use; says that farmers use too much-‐4 L/hectare_ that is the standard local application of all herbicides, and that local farmers believe if they use more, it will work faster. Over 90% of farmers do not use PPE, because they don’t have time-‐ to time-‐consuming to put it on. There is serious need for extension on proper quantity and dangers of pesticide to health. PPE is available at open market and the biggest dealer of agro seed and chemicals is Jubalili. The standard measurement tool is a tin of milk; in his experiments, he has shown that 150 ml=1 tin/20 L water is effective and protects maize; also reducing his costs of inputs.

Figure 6 Milk can used for measuring pesticides


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The following are methods/ideas he is promoting: Promoting zero tillage, and axe for harvest and only hoe for planting. Promoting using all tools – clear land, no tillage, use hoe to plant (hole); seed spray; 3 weeks later, plant 2nd crop; 6 weeks later likely to spray again (8 weeks for cowpea, and allow one week for sorghum) Promote different varieties, technical transfer, planting patterns, and plant population. Ask farmers for an on-‐site demo farm; ask farmer to allow him to plant one small section of their land (alongside the road for PR), so that they can see the improved results for themselves. If on-‐site demo farm alongside road, other farmers will see and ask how they did that. Self promote. Mr. Aliyu Lere confirmed that the herbicide sellers advise farmers to drink milk after spraying. Summary It was inspiring to speak with Mr. Aliyu Lere about all the research he's doing and the potential his research hold for helping farmers reduce the amount of pesticides used, increase their yield and work the land in a sustainable manner. This is a case where the knowledge needs to capitalized and disseminated to the masses. Mr. Aliyu Lere needs support to help spread his knowledge. He has done the research to figure out what works well in the region. This conversation also highlights the lack of information and support available to farmers when using pesticides.


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Visitation 5 Date: November 28, 2015 Company/Host: Somaru college of Ag. (SCA) Met with: Dr. Sa’idu Aliyu, Provost of Ag College Location: Zaria College trains extension works using information from the research institute. He indicated that the extension workers lack motivation and that there are not enough. Main and important ideas to come out of conversation: Any extension work to farmers in this state should be done in the following format and through the following routes to be most effective:

1) Use traditional bodies to get info out a. religious and village heads (community leaders): they are respected and

people will take more heed. 2) Radio: people listen to the radio often (a lot) 3) Visual aids work best; Back in the days when extension work was being done,

extension workers would project the info at night after farmers returned from work.

4) Keep cultural gap in mind and ensure that it is bridged-‐ lack of trust between farmers, extension workers and educated staff. Select villages, set up a trial plot to see difference between new and old methods of farming and continue to organize field days. Hands-‐on and interactive learning.

5) Remember that instructions on label aren’t clear, not easy to follow and farmers will adjust rates b/c they want a higher yield.

6) Incorporate IPM methods and also traditional knowledge, and gave example of how neem leaves are used to control pests. Another example given, is how ground nuts (peanuts) are used to control termites. Nuts attract ants, and the ants drive the termites out (used more in household farming).


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Visitation 6 Date: November 30, 2015 Company/Host: Ado-‐Ekiti Agricultural Development Program (ADP) Met with: Mr. Oba, ADP Extension who then guided us for two days and we met with, or visited, the following: 1) FAMA 2) ADP STORE 3) LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR (SEE PIX OF POSTERS BAD PPE) 4) ADP SEED PRODUCTION MANAGER 5) Community of Erinfun Ado-‐Ekiti (10 farmers and 1 certified applicator) Location: Ado-‐Akiti I learned that the State of Ekiti (Fountain of Knowledge) is the best-‐educated state in the entire country. Many retired professionals take up farming upon retiring. Some folks go back to farming in between jobs, too. Mr. Oba shared that the farmers in this state are more educated. The ADP employees are very dedicated in working with farmers despite the small and tight budgets from national government. The current ration of EW to Famers is 1:8,000. ADP has set up their outreach directly in field and village, especially at the village meetings where they can reach out to many farmers. They demonstrate how to use herbicides, pesticides, and different technologies. They also have a separate individual that works directly with women on various issues including health, nutrition, parenting advice, HIV, and child mortality. Women and children are the real laborers; they serve as a compliment to the work that husband does (primarily Yoruba tribe). Farmers (man) prefer to entrust labor/goods to wife instead of a stranger. Farmers are split up into groups, and each group has a leader. The extension workers meet with farmer group leaders. There are a total of 3 workgroups, and they are fortunate to have the support and involvement from the Governor’s wife. A couple of other programs had been working in the regions on various projects, and the extension workers had been carrying out work outside of their regular salary, such as National Food Security Program, FADAMA-‐ Rice-‐ (Haussa word meaning dry-‐season farming) World Bank adopted word to promote dry-‐season farming to further promote economic development. Neither program is running in this state at the moment.


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ADP used to train every fortnight on different topics conducted by Subject Matter Specialist (SMS). Due to budget cuts, trainings are now held once a month because they lack funds to feed participants and reimburse travel.

The last 2-‐day training ADP staff had on pesticide safety was 15 years ago. At one time a German agro chemical company used to provide safety trainings. Currently, environmentalists come in and address topics of safety. Safety topics demonstrated the use of raincoat, mask, gloves, and rain boots. Old extension officers were trained, however, newer staff has not been trained specifically. Some farmers will follow recommendations; many are not willing to spend the extra money to buy protective gear. If material is offered free of charge, they will use it.

About 20 years ago, farmers used to get pesticides from ADP—ADP used to have their own store and provided chemicals, fertilizer, equipment & PPE. Then about 10 years ago, input came from government not from ADP; presently farmers get chemicals indirectly from chemical companies. Farmers live far from town, and they ask (and provide money to) the extension worker to buy chemicals needed, and come back with specific product on the next ADP visit. These farmers don’t buy just anything; the EW ensures farmers are getting the proper chemicals needed. This structure (albeit out of necessity), does not allow for chemicals to be hawked in open market. Mr. Oba indicated that they have a good rapport w/ input dealers.

This is a busy time with farmers harvesting, and ADP Outreach Director disseminates information everyday 15 radio spots, and on TV on Thursdays at 5.30 pm for half an hour. The topics vary mainly on how to increase productivity, and try to cover safety issues.

Mr. Oba gave me List of Approved and Banned Agrochemicals ( see Appendix A Expired materials). Mr. Oba confirmed what we'd been hearing about there not being one agency or single body that has oversight over banned products. He indicated that the best source of information is the research institute in Ibadan -‐ IAR-‐Institute for Agricultural Research. There is also the IITA International Institute for Tropical Agriculture.

Mr. Oba explained that there are government and privately owned stores selling chemicals. I asked about the depth of knowledge and training of IPM, REI, PHI, and pictograms. Mr. Oba indicated that extension workers receive monthly technical training from research institutes and universities. However, I was unable to get a good idea of the level of training or depth of knowledge of EW on these subjects.


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Regarding applicators, I was told that there are businesses where farmers hire someone to do the spraying, or the farmers train to do it themselves. Extension worker reads and explains label and risks to farmer. EW also trains farmers to calibrate.

Disposal of empty pesticide containers is the problem; farmers are advised to cut & bury or burn it and don’t re-‐use. It is unclear what farmers do.

When asked about what advice is given to farmers about storage, Mr. Oba said that farmers are advised to keep chemicals at the farm, not at home. The chemicals are usually stored under a tree. Some farmers buy just enough what they need and do not have to deal with storage issues.

I asked about rate of incidents of pesticide exposure. Mr. Oba shared a tragic story of livestock feeding on grasses around contaminated water source and dying. He further indicated that that there aren’t many cases of people exposed to pesticides.

Figure 7 Meeting with Mr. Oba


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Meeting with FAMA FAMA (Fountain Agric Marketing Agency) is a public private partnership (PPP) Vision statement To grow the agricultural sector of the state economy by readily providing marketing platform services through public private partnership. Mission Statement

• To boost sales of agricultural commodities through: • Provision of marketing linkage • Provision of genuine inputs at affordable prices • Mopping-‐up of excess farm produce • Facilitation of entrepreneurs in processing, branding and packaging • Improved quality, stable and good price for finished agricultural produce

Figure 8 FAMA


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Most people view it as a government agency and expect free money; FAMA works with SON and NAFDAC. FAMA runs a Croplife training called Spray Service Provider (SSP) program to stimulate youth economic development. The goal is to attract youth into getting certified to spray, so that they can be more marketable to farmers looking to hire someone to apply pesticides in their fields. Participants receive a 2-‐year certification. The next training will be held in 2017; not sure if it will happen b/c they don’t have sponsor, and the current director doesn’t want grants.

Chemical producers promised FAMA boots and sprayers. The masks, glasses, and gloves are available in the open market. Raincoat is the most challenging to get. There were 24 trained in the first training in 2015. Croplife didn’t want women to participate, however, at least two of the ADP female staff did attend and are certified.

Figure 9 Overalls provided at SSP training


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Figure 10 Certification in SSP

The trainings were announced and participants recruited through radio announcements and via input dealers. FAMA faces monitoring and mobility challenges due to lack of funding for equipment and staff. GES-‐ Growth Enhancement Support scheme whereby FAMA sells chemicals at 20-‐25% lower price so farmers can afford them and come to reputable source. Chemical dealers must be registered with state to be certified by FAMA. Meeting with Agro Dealer Agro Dealer in Ado-‐Ekiti-‐Adedoyin Adenola—He’s been in business for 20 years; Mr. Adenola inherited it from his dad. He sells knapsacks and sells replacement parts, plus also does knapsack repair. He has not been trained on pesticide safety by any manufacturer. He offers advice on PPE-‐ to use gloves (see pix of poster in his business); advice on disposal namely to bury it. He’s had many complaints especially on cypermethrin, of rashes and advises the use of PPE. He didn’t have any PPE in stock because it is not spraying season.


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Asked him for clarification on term found on a label: withholding period. He was not sure what it means. We had seen this term before but no one seems to know the meaning. He procures his chemicals from different chemical manufacturers out of Lagos. He reports back to chemical company if farmers complain that chemical doesn’t work; he has detected fake products from Ibadan. In his company expired chemicals go back to manufacture, all of the 6 manufacturers that he works with take back expired product, and they exchange the product. I advised him to ask chemical companies to train him in safe pesticide handling and PPE necessary for proper protection. I also insisted that he ask for posters that show proper PPE when applying pesticides as opposed to what is currently hanging in his shop.

Figure 11 Mixing without proper PPE


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Meeting with ADP Seed Production ADP SEED production facility manager -‐-‐ Kayode Ogunlano Sells pre-‐treated seed; He advises farmers to use rubber gloves and affordable surgical mask against dust, to heed direction of wind, use an apron and no eating, nor smoking. We talked briefly about cultural beliefs surrounding neutralizing the negative effects of pesticide exposure, drinking milk after spraying or drinking (red) palm oil. People still do this. Erinfun community in Ado-‐Ekiti Met with about 10 farmers and 1 certified applicator. They farm Yam, maize, cassava, coco yam, vegetables (tomatoes, garden eggs) NFSP program farmers shared some of their cultural ways of controlling pests: use of neem leave: boil, allow to cool, submerge the yam seed in water or spray the land, plant the next day to control for insects. They also use tutonia plant prepared in same way as neem, use extract to spray and control insects such as aphids, beetles. No stories about exposure. Applications: many do applications themselves and some hire someone else. They get trained at the village meetings-‐they use gloves and masks. I didn’t see these items because they are stored at farms. Farmers here also store their pesticides at farm and not near their homes. Disposal of empties takes place by either burning or burying containers, and farmers buy chemicals at agro store or dealer. When asked about PHI and REI, farmers indicated that extension tells them to 21 days as a standard. Talked to one certified applicator. He was trained at the IITA in Ibadan in 2013. Doesn’t know if he will get re-‐trained. He found out about training through extension and again through chemical company, then decided to attend training at institute. When asked about pesticide exposure symptoms, he shared that he had an accidental spillage on his back, drank palm oil and rubbed it on his back and nothing happened. His biggest challenge at the moment is how to control weeds at 5 months into having planted cassava because there’s no selective herbicide. Summary The structure of the outreach (very grassroots) seems to be very effective. This is also the only region visited where women, as a group, were included in the extension work


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and addressed directly. There seems to be a more holistic approach to community support and development work. This region has a strong and positive working relationship between ADP Extension Workers and their local farmers. There is consistency in reporting the lack of oversight of banned materials, no national licensing program for applicators, farmers are applying pesticides themselves or hiring a local (untrained) farmer to apply. It was great to see an actual chemical store. One of the first things we noticed was the poster with absolutely no PPE. I suggested to Mr. Adenola that he ask the chemical companies for marketing materials that show appropriate safety attire, and to ask that they train him on safety precautions. This was one of the few locations at which tribal hostilities were openly shared, Yoruba vs Haussa. I stopped it immediately indicating that my purpose is to protect life regardless of tribe.


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Visitation 7

Date: December 1, 2015

Company/Host: ADP Met with: Yomi Ogunrinde, Director of Outreach/Coordinator Zone 2 19 Farmers (7 women); Mrs Comfort Owoade Women in Agriculture Worker Omore-‐Ekiti (18 farmers of which 3 women); no Women in Agricultural staff in this location.

Location: Ikare-‐Ekiti, Ekiti state

The Director of Outreach translated for our interaction with this group of farmers. We discussed how they farmed and which cultural methods they use to control pests to assess their knowledge of IPM. Crops: cocoa, maize, cassava, rice, cowpea, yam, coco yam, mango

Various farmers indicated that they brush and clear the land manually, then they spray weed crusher or glyphosate. 4-‐5 days later they plant. Some farmers use mechanized farming tools along with manual tools.

One mentioned that he uses a tractor to expose weed roots and allow them to dry, then they plant, then apply pesticide. Does not harrow, 10o 15 days after the plowing and planting, he covers up the seedlings with plastic, then spray, then lift plastic.

One farmer indicated that because zero-‐tillage and hand weeding can take too long, they use a selective chemical, a tractor, 2-‐3 weeks weeds decay, then harrow, plant then spray.

One farmer indicated that he uses a hoe, mechanical farming and manual weeding. He went back to the “old system” b/c using all the chemicals were killing the land (at this point the Director of Outreach explained that the chemicals will make the land acidic and it affects the quality of yield).

Practices used to control weeds/pests without the use of chemicals: Neem leaves-‐ boil and when cooled, seep yam seeds (insecticide); for maize storage put neem leaves on top, middle and base of container to keep maize for a year; bitter leaves and palm tree flower, soak these two together then seep yam, prevents insects and rotting. Use of bamboo tie to store b/c it allow for air circulation; another method for keeping insects away from maize, hang bag w/ maize above firewood; for


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example above where folks are cooking), smoke drives away bugs. Maize might have a black tint to it but it washes off.

Use tutonia pound and soak, put water in knapsack and used against termites.

Figure 12 Tutonia plant

Five Female (farming maize, cassava, yam, vegetables)-‐ all clear brush and burn to clear land, they all know the proper spacing for their respective crop for best yield, rotate crops in their vegetable farms. The women planting maize do not use gloves to handle pre-‐treated seed; I have advised them to do so. Women do not use pesticide because they think that their families will be ingesting chemicals and it gives them diarrhea. They have small veg farms and smaller plots.


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Figure 13 Women in agriculture

Farmers indicated that they don’t like using PPE because it is too time consuming to put on, too cumbersome to wear and inconvenient with heat. Some farmers have noticed some symptoms of pesticide exposure such as runny noses. They had heard of stories of animals being exposed and getting very ill. When farmers get ill, they take paracetamol. They apply pesticides with open-‐toed slippers, some use gloves, socks and rain boots.

One farmer indicated that he uses rain boots and gloves, which were given to him from a chemical company vendor, plus a mask (purchased at local market). After he experienced skin irritation he uses long-‐sleeved shirt and leaves clothes on farm.

Regarding disposal they leave empties wherever and some people use empties to drink water or as salt/pepper shakers.

Regarding washing equipment, they wash in stream and throw water away from stream. The chairman of this group of farmers sells chemicals and was trained on safe pesticide handling by ADP over 10 years ago.

Farmers in this region employ someone to spray. The hired applicator was in crowd and when I asked him how he got into the business, he said saw a friend do it, and so he decided to start his own business.


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Conversation w/ Mrs. Comfort Owoade – Women in Agriculture.

I asked her to confirm the veracity of something I had heard earlier that morning: the women need to be in charge of the finances, because if left in the hands of the men, it gets spent wrongly.

She said that women will make sure that the family is taken care of FIRST. Mrs. Comfort explained that every two weeks there’s a lecture for women on different topics, for example, preparation of soya beans to milk, on practical preparations, personal hygiene, taking care of children, preservation of crops, palm oil w/o fatty acids, and hands-‐on workshops.

There are 8 groups of women with approx. 15-‐20 members/group. I asked her for the best way to ensure that the family is safe against pesticides in the home: she said train the moms!

Omore-‐Ekiti

Our last visit of the day was at Omore-‐Ekiti. We started off our questioning by inquiring about control methods without pesticides:

Someone said that they heard on the radio spots to use neem oil as insecticide Siam weed leaves ground with neem, then add water. 2 liters of this mixture is good for 2 loads (knapsack) and it is a very effective insecticide for cowpea; the siam-‐neem combo plus pepper paste (pepper = red chili peppers) is a good repellent of beetles, aphids and grasshoppers (shared by an individual that took a farming training in Benin republic). If you add black soap to the neem/siam combo, it is effective against black pod disease in cocoa production.

Wood ashes soaked for two days, take water and seep yam sets, allow to dry and then plant. This method is very effective against nematodes. For plantain/bananas: cook neem oil, allow to cool and dip suckers in water before planting. Use bitterleaf, plus wood ash plus neem pounded together with water helps to preserve yamset before planting, can also help w/ weed control w/o use of herbicides. Some also use hoe and cutlass, cover crops to prevent weeds such as watermelon and sweet potato to allow cassava and yam to grow.

One farmer said he stopped using chemicals due to bad effects and the ingestion of chemicals through consumption and that it accumulates in your body. Didn’t like using the chems b/c of the rash and other effects.


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We were told a tragic story of a family of 12 that all died because parents picked vegetables out of (what we assumed to be a recently sprayed) plot, went home to prepare food and they all died. There is no signage/posting. It is customary that neighbors or passers-‐by take from others plots; there was just no warning of the pesticide application indicating to folks to keep out. Please see Figure 14 Visitation 9 (HANDMADE KEEP OUT SIGN)

Most farmers apply pesticides themselves and some use rain boots, mask, gloves. Some say they learned from the chemical companies and the PPE was supplied by them as well (Amajaro company). Some use only the surgical mask, and rubber gloves. Storage: closed closet in a separate and locked cabinet; some store in their rooms/homes. Most keep PPE on farm with chemicals. They bury or burn the empties.

Cocoa farmers say that it is impossible to grow cocoa w/o chemicals. Buying chemicals from open market, few from government; they do come across banned, expired and/or fake chemicals and they know it’s fake b/c it is not effective. This still happens but with less frequency.

There was one gentleman that was trained as a certified applicator by a chemical company and we asked him to clarify the term withholding period, but we didn’t get a clear answer.

Summary

Although farmers in this region try to use protection, it is not always sufficient or appropriate. Many traditional plants are used for pest control, and any work done in this region should seek to incorporate the local knowledge and add to their base of knowledge.

One very simple precaution is the use of handmade KEEP OUT signage. This is fairly simple to implement and can save lives immediately.


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Visitation 8


Company/Host: Met with: Dari, Permanent Secretary for Agriculture & Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture

Location: Ado-‐Ekiti

I briefed them on the findings thus far in the state of Ekiti and how that compared to the other states regarding the safe use of pesticides and IPM.

They agreed that the top priorities are to find alternatives to chemical control, and especially being mindful of residue levels in light of the recent ban of Nigerian exports to the EU market (cowpea, beans). We all agreed that it is important to come up with a safety packet info for farmers.

Food & Agriculture Organization –FAO-‐ Address with WHO about more control/requirements placed on manufacturers; NAFDAC knows who’s conducting business in the country as does SON (Standard Organization of Nigeria)

1) There’s a great need for advocacy for farmers: farmers need to learn aboutpesticide exposure symptoms and ways to protect themselves.

2) Establish where, how and when to report exposure cases3) International organization needs to set higher requirements and standards.


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Visitation 9


Company/Host: Wale Awoyemi Met with: Wale Awoyemi, Markets II Winrock project Coordinator Farmers from Cocoa Cooperative Farms in Adejubu Akure North 30 farmers And in Aponmu Akure South 13 farmers (2 women)

Location: Akure, Ondo State

Wale shared information on the cocoa cooperative: attempting to get all farmers up to export standards (top three standards: Rainforest, UTZ Certified, FairTrade). Croplife – conglomerate of ag chemical companies in W. Africa and Africa-‐ sponsored a training for the SSP – Spray Service Providers. This program is also a way to get youth involved in farming and help develop their earning potential. SSPs are certified pesticide applicators with a valid two-‐year certification. They received a two-‐day comprehensive training (see Appendices C and D). They are trained in recordkeeping (see pix of log), storage, PPE (see pix), disposal. External auditors come in and conduct on-‐ and off-‐farm assessments of their spray records. Cooperative members are motivated to comply and maintain records so that their products achieve and maintain the (export) standards. This pressure to comply to standards comes two-‐fold for cocoa farmers: crop-‐driven (meet residue standards at international export markets, namely USA and Europe), and consumer driven standard demands (Fairtrade). Farmers are motivated to ensure compliance and follow all requirements brcause cocoa uses lots of pesticides. One farmer said, “you cannot farm cocoa without pesticides.”

Croplife has trained a total of 289 participants in 3 states in 2013, and 69 in Ondo state. No women spraying professionally, yet some are trained and spray on their own plots. The following companies provide PPE: Armajaro Migeria ltd, Multi-‐trex Integrated Fund PLC, Tulip Cueva processing limited.

It quickly became evident that almost all farmers in the room were very well trained and knowledgeable about both pesticide safety and IPM (24 out of the 30). Armajaro trained 9 of these at an earlier date than the Croplife training, and some were re-‐trained under the SSP project. All the present applicators were from various cooperative groups. They described what they do when they go out to quote a job: look at topography, check for nearby water sources, put on PPE, measure/mix chemical (indicated knowledge of differing toxicity levels). Once they have sprayed, dismantle and clean spray pump, wash up and leave clothes used to spray on farm.


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They put up signage indicating that the farm has been sprayed either a red flag or homemade sign (see picture below), and they inform neighbors. Farmers are aware of the PHI (they clarified for us that the “withholding period” is the same as PHI); they plan their first harvest around PHIs.

Figure 14 Homemade sign saves lives

No one in the cooperative knows of anyone that has hired an unlicensed applicator but they did say that it happens on other (non-‐cooperative) farms. Members of the cooperative are not willing to risk their membership by hiring unlicensed applicators. The SSPs were trained in IPM methods for cocoa: pruning back canopy just enough to prevent excessive humidity, which aggravates black pod disease; but careful not too prune too much because excess sunlight invites pests.

Pesticide exposure stories: people in the room knew of someone spraying and collapsed because they were not wearing PPE. Banned chemicals: Ridomil Gold is banned but it gets to Nigerian market because it is still approved in Ghana. People that are not trained will use it.


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Amajaro sells subsidized PPE. There are 8 groups of farmers and each group consists of 50 members (including men, women, youth). Lead farmers are trained and then they share the knowledge with other group members.

Visited the community of Aponmu Akure South with Wale

These farmers all work with Wale. There are 4 farmer groups each with 50 members. We had an opportunity to see the training manual (Appendix D Training Agenda). Since we knew the quality of the training, I asked farmers, "what was the one thing about the training that struck you the most and made you change your habits/behaviors?" Here are some sample answers: Learning to protect myself is saving my life; learned that pesticides will kill them, too, if not used appropriately; learned not to re-‐use empty containers.

They also learned about: record keeping, PPE, proper disposal (store empty containers and return to producer, triple rinse and puncture), production and farming information, and harvesting. They know of untrained applicators outside of the cooperative farms.

Summary

The training provided by Croplife has made a significant difference in the lives of these farmers. It was clear that the information was delivered in a very effective manner leading to positive, lasting changes in behaviors and habits.

Figure 15 Wale and farmers


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Visitation 10


Company/Host: Met with: Ongele Darlington, Agricultural Production Officer with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and ADP Zonal Manager Ebonyi state.

Location: Abakaliki, Ebonyi State

Main crops: rice, cassava, yam

Very few farmers have the opportunity for training due to lack of education, lack of mobility and contact agents. ADP trains but because of scarcity of resources, not all famers get trained.

World Bank funding, before their departure in 1990s, allowed for the purchase of motorcycles and funding for fueling the bikes so EW could get out to the field. After the World Bank left, there are no resources for EW to fuel bikes and this has drastically reduced EW mobility. In 2014, the federal government provided Ebonyi state with 22 motorcycles in a state with 150 EW staff. The travel per diem (LTT-‐ Local Transport and Travel) funds have dried up and even though EW should be in field 4 out of 5 days, rarely do EW go out that many days. It is now left up to the individual to decide how often they can afford to go out in the field.

How are contact farmers selected? The area is divided into work circles, then further divided into 8 sub circles and in each there are 10 contact farmers who are visited and trained. The contact farmers should be representative of the farmer and they must go back to train others. However, newly employed EW are not trained properly to do their jobs in choosing contact farmers.

Value Chain Development program (IFAD) currently in the first year (of 6-‐year program), over 50 registered farmers groups (1120 farmers) in 3 local governments. They were trained in August 2015 on pesticide safety at ITTA in Ibadan. High level ADP staff attended training and then came back to train maybe 10% of EW due to lack of funding. This 10% in turn was supposed to train farmers. ADP facilitated the training (sponsored by IFAD) and they trained in three local governments and all chairmans, secretaries, and treasurers of all the famers groups were trained. Over 55 farmers groups in the 3 (out of 13) local governments were trained. The training took place too late in the year-‐applications made in March-‐June, so there’s no method to monitor if farmers groups


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have been properly trained. Even after being trained, it is too costly to invest in PPE, many view it as a waste of money.

Chemicals are purchased in the open market; people come in from rural places to buy chemicals. Fake chemicals available in open market, and farmers realize they are fake because they are ineffective, so ADP advises farmers to buy directly from agro chemical companies. Major problem in this area is fake chemicals-‐ there was fed government intervention to get rid of fake chemical and fertilizers but not enough. IFAD decided to buy chemicals/fertilizers and sell to farmers at 50% cost (max 6 bags/hectare).

PPE available when there’s demand maybe not even 2% of farmers use PARTIAL PPE. When asked about what they do with empties, we received various answers. Some leave empties anywhere; others re-‐use for storage of food stuff (oil, salt, pepper), or to drink water.

VCD program is running in 6 states on two crops and 3 local governments in each state. Farmers are motivated to stay in program b/c it adds value to each stage of production. The program gives market access to farmers that would otherwise never see buyers.

The state has established 3 rice processing mills to help. Ebonyi rice mill in Abakaliki is the biggest in the state and in Western Africa. ADP would like to introduce small modern processing mills. Hope is to get more private sector involvement and that there be a minimum of government involvement.

Summary

The situation in this region is similar to what we saw back in Mangu in the state of Jos. The ADP is unable to maintain a high level of service out in the rural communities.


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Figure 16 Car tour of rice mills


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Visitation 11


Company/Host: Met with: Ongele Darlington, Agricultural Production Officer with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and ADP Zonal Manager Ebonyi state. ADP staff; 23 farmers (12 women)

Location: Okpera Enyi town, Nndiagu, Ebonyi State

Main crops: rice, cassava, yam

ADP goal in Ebonyi state is to be central agent in getting information out to farmers, cleaning rice, and selling seed to farmer at reduced costs. Mr. Darlington recruited made sure that women were recruited into IFAD, totaling 30% of IFAD participants. When asked why, he responded that women are more honest, and when women have money the whole family benefits. By contrast, when a man gets money, they either go out and get another wife, or a new car. (This is the 3rd time I heard this logic!!)

Okpera Enyi Town Hall – Nnidagu (12 women & 11 men) 2 ADP Staff – via translator. Four individuals present are not part of the IFAD prog; all use chemicals on their rice farms; 6 gentlemen spray themselves, and all women pay to have someone else to spray. Some sprayers use PPE, some are dressed ordinarily dress; PPE bought at market.

Disposal: use empties for cooking fire, or to store water or oil; advised if there’s one thing they take away today, it’s this and that they stop re-‐using empty containers. Storage: tied and in home; we advised to keep away from home and behind a locked door.

Some farmers indicated that they have felt itching and had skin rashes and didn’t make the connection b/n spraying and the unease. Certified applicators: there are 5 certified applicators in this community and that does not suffice; over 20 spraying. They feel anyone can spray. They explained that the women don’t spray b/c they can’t carry the knapsack; but for a man, as long as they can carry it, they can spray.

They were certified in 2014 as part of the Abakaliki Markets program by Croplife, and will possible re-‐train in 2016.


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Gloves, masks can get at market, but the overalls are not easy to find. Advised to use a raincoat.

We discussed the following concepts related to safe use of pesticides:

REI-‐ known here as the No-‐Entry Period; PHI-‐known here as Withholding period; Talked to community about coming up with an agreed upon method to indicate to community that the farms have been sprayed and no one should enter. We discussed preventing water contamination; one women asked if DDT is as bad as the other chemicals we’ve been discussing. This question indicates lack of knowledge of different levels of toxicity, and that people in this area are still using banned chemicals (ADP agent confirmed that they don’t even know that such a thing exists as banned chemicals); some folks asked if it’s ok to drink water while they spray, so no drinking/eating while spraying was also addressed.

This group of farmers was ready and willing to make changes but PPE is cost prohibitive so we offered suggestions that they can make immediately and don’t require much spending. Something is better than nothing.

IPM—idea of IPM is irrelevant because chemicals work faster; they can't realistically weed manually and they don’t have equipment so the last option is chemicals.

Figure 17 Saying Thank You

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APPENDIX A

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APPENDIX B

These questions were delivered to the SON office in Ado-Ekiti on November 30, 2105. As of April 2016, there has been no response. Visitation 6

Questions for SON

How are pesticides registered/approved for use in the country?

How often is the list of registered pesticides updated?

Does government conduct compliance checks at supply dealers and markets?

Requirements of manufactures and labels?

Pesticide bottles/containers talk about a Withholding period, what does that mean?

Do you have a list of banned products in Nigeria? How often is it updated and by whom?

Does the government conduct announced control visits of local manufacturers and/or distributors to ensure compliance with federal regulations?

Sources of Pesticides in the Country

Pesticide importation (governance issues, cross border trade and control, etc.)

Legal v. illegal sources – are you aware of any illegal sources of pesticide distributors?

Sale of counterfeit pesticides, pesticides that are repackaged, pesticides without labels

Main countries and companies importing pesticides into the country?

Local manufacture of pesticides

Local Pesticide Trade

How does government regulate import, distribution, use, and disposal of pesticides?

How are obsolete pesticides dealt with in the country?

Main pesticide dealers in the country – who are they and how are they regulated?

Availability of pesticides (low toxicity, different classes)

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Any training requirements for Pesticide dealers/agro-input supply dealers?

Where to start to develop a program to certify applicators?

Learn about maintenance of application equipment?

Dispose of unused pesticides and containers?

How to clean and store application equipment?

How to store unused pesticides?

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APPENDIX C

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APPENDIX D

Pesticide Safety Assessment for Nigeria Assignment Number ...

Documents

Transcript of Pesticide Safety Assessment for Nigeria Assignment Number ...