Agricultural Pests And The Farming System: A Study Of Pest Hazards And Pest Management By Small-Scale Farmers In Kenya

This chapter is based on a series of farmer surveys conducted in Kenya during 1982 and 1983 to: determine the nature and impacts of pest hazards in peasant farming systems; explore farmer&s;s responses; and examine some aspects of pesticide use on cotton and coffee crops. To improve pest management and mitigate the effects of pest losses among small-scale farmers, it is important to examine the role of these losses in the farming system and to identify the kinds of loss that are most in need of outside assistance and the type of assistance that would be most effective. The pesticides available for sale to farmers must be on the list of those tested and approved for the intended use by the National Agricultural Laboratories. The specific chemicals supplied are determined by negotiations between the district cooperative union and chemical companies taking account of cost, safety, and appropriateness for local conditions.