The Significance and Implications of Pesticide Residue on Fruits and Vegetables in Ethiopia: An Overview

Crop protection is an essential component of fruit and vegetable production in Ethiopia. Farmers utilize various protection strategies and methods to minimize the level of damage by pests, but among protection strategies pesticide application is the predominant method. There is high dependency of farmers on pesticide control of pests in fruits and vegetable production. Pesticide application encourages farmers to rely more on pesticides than on other pest control methods because of quick results obtained. This will result in accumulation of pesticide residues on the crops. Pesticide residue refers to pesticides that may remain on or in food after they are applied to food crops. Hence pesticide residue includes the pesticide that is remained in the sprayed produce such as fruits and vegetables and bioaccumulation in animals and products such as fish, meat, eggs and dairy. Pesticides used on fruits and vegetables leave residues on the exposed crops which expose human beings to adverse health effects. The continuous use of pesticides in fruits and vegetables as practiced by farmer’s poses a health risk to consumers and may lead to higher pesticide residues. Organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides which are the most hazardous and banned chemical groups are still in use in Ethiopia. Good pesticide monitoring and program to evaluate consumer risk for the Ethiopian people is mandatory.