Sales Practices in Pesticides Retail: A Case Study of Kerala

• Published in: The Indian journal of agricultural economics 2017-01, Vol.72 (1), p.102-116
• Main Authors: Devi, P Indira, Jayasree, MG, Sarada, AP, Raju, Rajesh K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural cooperatives; Agriculture; Climatic zones; Compliance; Crops; Data collection; Data management; Externality; Farmers; Fungicides; Handling; Health risks; Healthy food; Herbicides; Insecticides; Law; Organic farming; Pest control; Pesticides; Private sector; Public sector; Respondents; Retail stores; Retailing; Rodenticides; Sales; Settlements & damages; Shops
• ISSN: 0019-5014

Despite the reports on negative externalities due to pesticide exposure by varying sections of the population, pesticide retailing continues to be a less focused sector. This paper analyse the market condition of pesticides in Kerala and the level of scientific knowledge on handling pesticides by the sales person. The study is based on information collected from 80 random sample of pesticide sale points from five different agro climatic zones in the state. There are 1908 retail outlets for pesticide sales in Kerala run by co-operatives (40 per cent) and private individuals (60 per cent) and large number of sales points which are not formally registered and seasonal in nature. The level of sales of pesticides averages to 954 kg of formulations per month per shop. A maximum sale per shop is in high range zone and lowest in northern zone. The major crops in high ranges are mainly the commercial crops. In other places it was paddy and other food crops including coconut. Fungicides form 41 per cent of sales, insecticides 38 per cent, herbicides (4.5 per cent) and rodenticides (3 per cent). The awareness index constructed based on the responses to statements by the sales person showed that majority of the respondents (59 per cent) was in the range of 5-9, followed by 37 per cent in the range of 9-12. Four per cent of respondents were having a very high value of more than 12. The experience and education level are identified as the two major factors that influenced the awareness level. However the statements furnished by them did not match with their knowledge level as revealed by their responses to listing of banned pesticides. The pesticide regulation in India insists on the reporting of health damages due to pesticide handling at various stages of handling including retailing. None of the shops were maintaining such a register and they were not aware of the same. More than half of the respondents were of the view that there is only mild health risk at short term. On the contrary, they consider long term effect as more profound and fatal. The paper suggests policy interventions based on the study, which include active presence of public sector in sales, insisting on educational levels for pesticide dispensing ,strict compliance of legal aspects, monitoring and efficient data management.