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Abstract

The study investigated the factors predisposing cocoa farmers to pesticide toxicity in Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 390 respondents from five geo-political zones where cocoa is commercially grown in Nigeria. Data were collected with the aid of questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate probit (MVP) model. Results revealed that cocoa farming was dominated by male farmers (76.6%), literate (88.3%) with a mean age of 49±9.63 years and household size of 10±4.78. The study further revealed that majority of the farmers were exposed to pesticide toxicity through their skin (84.6%), eyes (49.4%), mouth (54.3%) and lungs (58%). Results of the multivariate probit model revealed that the significant factors predisposing cocoa farmers to toxicity through skin (dermal) were period of pesticide application, use of personal protective clothing and pesticide packaging; through eyes were training, use of PPE, weather condition and pesticide packaging materials; through mouth were, age, wearing of PPE, pesticide labels and period of pesticide application; through lungs were age, training, pesticide preparation method, and weather condition. The study recommended that effective training and awareness programmes that targets hazards resulting from exposure of cocoa farmers to pesticide toxicity should be intensifies in the study area.

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