Abstract
Scoping for assessment of health impact among farmers from using agrochemicals in Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces aim to 1. To identify scopes for assessment of health impact among farmers from using agrochemicals in Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces. 2. To establish participatory process among stakeholders in agricultural policy of using agrochemicals to increase productionsMethods : Study methods included (1) gathering preliminary data on agrochemicals used and health problems from farmers and stakeholders from 2 seminars, (2) collecting quantitative data using interviewed questionnaires, (3) collecting some additional information from focus group discussion, (4) presenting the research summary to farmers and stakeholders for validation in the seminar. In the preliminary data collection, 2 seminars were held. First seminar was held in Chiang Mai City to gather data from cabbage and kale growing farmers and stakeholders including academia, consumers, government officers in public health and agriculture, traders in agricultural produces, 108 participants in total. The second seminar was held in Lamphun City to gather data from longan orchard farmers and stakeholders, 61 participants in total. Quantitative data were then collected by interviewing farmers using present study constructed- questionnaires. There were 33 kale and cabbage cultivation farmers from 5 districts of Chiang Mai Province including Saraphi, Mae Rim, Mae Cham, Doi Law, Chom Thong, and Mae Wang districts, and 26 farmers from 2 districts of Lamphun Province including Muang Lamphun and Ban Hong Districts. Furthermore, there were 28 longan orchard farmers from 3 districts of Chiang Mai Province including Saraphi, San Patong, and Hang Dong Districts, and 29 farmers from 4 districts of Lamphun province including Muang Lamphun, Pa Sang, Wiang Nonglong, and Ban Hong districts. There were 116 farmers in total including 59 farmers from kale and cabbage cultivation and 57 farmers from longan orchard. Some additional information was collected from 4 focus group discussions conducted in farmers growing cabbage (one group), kale (one group) and longan orchard (2 groups). The final seminar was held in Chiang Mai City in order to present the scope of health impact assessment among farmers using agrochemicals to farmers and stakeholders for validation. Of 121 participants, there were 70 farmers and 51 stakeholders attended the seminar.Results: Most farmers used mixed agrochemicals or cocktails in order to reduce time and labor cost. Both vegetable and longan farmers confirmed that they could not decreased using all kind of synthetic agrochemicals because they were not sure to obtain produces as targeted. The most use of agrochemicals in vegetable cultivation was chemical fertilizers and animal manure. Chemical fertilizers were reportedly used in longan orchard as much as in vegetable cultivation
