ประสิทธิผลของโปรแกรมส่งเสริมการจัดการซากบรรจุภัณฑ์สารเคมีการเกษตรในครัวเรือนของเกษตรกรตำบลหารแก้ว อำเภอหางดง จังหวัดเชียงใหม่

Abstract

In Thailand, agrochemicals are used by farmers to increase crop quality and agricultural product production. This leads to the rising of agrochemical container waste, which is hazardous waste and need to be disposed of properly. However, the promotion of agrochemical packaging waste management is scarce. This quasi-experimental one-group pretest - posttest study aims to determine the effectiveness of program for promoting household agrochemical packaging waste management among farmers in Han Kaeo Sub district, Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai Province. The participants of the study are 34 farmers who live in Han Kaeo Sub district. The experimental instrument in this study is the program for promoting household agrochemical container waste management which applied self – efficacy theory for creating activities in program. The data collection instruments are the questionnaire including the questions about demographic data, agrochemicals - used, knowledge, self – efficacy and practices toward agrochemical waste management, the evaluation form and the observation form. The effectiveness assessment is conducted before and after administering the program. Personal data are statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparing mean scores of knowledge is statistically analyzed using Wilcoxon signed ranks test and mean scores of self – efficacy and practices are statistically analyzed using paired T – test. The result shows that most of the samples are males, age range 61–70 years old, graduated from primary school, have a monthly income of 1,000–5,000 baht, have worked as farmers for more than 20 years and do farming by themselves, have an agricultural area of 5–10 rai, most of them do horticulture farming, have a yearly income of more than 20,000 baht, and have expenses for agrochemicals of 1,000 – 5,000 baht. A knowledge source about managing agrochemical container waste is a government officer. The result shows the mean scores of knowledge, self-efficacy and practices toward agrochemical container waste management among farmers before administering the program are 9.85 ± 1.58, 4.48 ± 0.13, and 2.43 ± 0.20, respectively. The mean scores of knowledge, self-efficacy, and practices after providing the program for 1 week were 11.68 ± 1.20, 4.63 ± 0.14, and 2.66 ± 0.17, respectively, and those after providing the program for 4 weeks were 10.88 ± 1.17, 4.65 ± 0.14, and 2.70 ± 0.21, respectively. The mean scores of knowledge, self-efficacy, and practices after 1 week and 4 weeks of the program are significantly higher than those before the program (p<0.05). According to the results, the program can increase knowledge, self-efficacy, and practices about agrochemical waste management. The results of this study may help develop policies that promote proper agrichemical packaging waste management. Raising awareness among farmers leads to sustainably improving the farmer’s behavior.