Perceptions and practices of pesticides safety measures of rice farmers in the central region of Vietnam

The use of pesticides is increasing rapidly and the pesticide use crisis is badly damaging the environment, the economy, and public health in Vietnam. However, the country is yet to become successful in reducing pesticide use mostly because of policy implementation and inadequate understanding of farmers. This study examined and discussed the perceptions and safety level of using pesticides by applying a widely used index of 39 indicators equivalent to 39 safety measures grouped into four categories to assess the safety behaviour of rice farmers in the central region of Vietnam. A field survey of 320 rice farmers and 12 local leaders was conducted in Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue provinces. The result revealed that there exists a significant difference (p