Farmers’ Practice, Knowledge and Perception on Agrochemicals Utilization and Its Effects on Honeybees in Tigary Region, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Bees are the predominant and most economically important group of pollinators in most geographical regions.Recently there is an alarming decline in honeybee colony population around the world and the toxic effects of different agrochemicals are currently being scrutinized as a contributing factor. This study was conducted to assess farmers perception on  agrochemicals utilization and the effects those agrochemical impose on honeybee health in selected districts of Tigrai region. During the  survey study, 300 farmers (212 beekeepers and 88 non-beekeepers) were interviewed. In addition, focus group discussion (FGD) sessions were held for triangulation of quantitative data. Analysis was done using SPSS software program (SPSS, version 20).  Out of the agrochemicals applied in the study area, 64 % of them were insecticides while 18% of them were herbicides and the other 18% were fungicides. The study result revealed that the use of agrochemicals in the study area was dramatically increasing over the past five consequetive (2013-2017) years. Non-beekeepers were found to be more significantly higher agrochemicals users than that of beekeepers (