Characteristics of the 22 selected pesticide shops, grouped according to their size and function
| Small scale (n=3) | Medium scale (n=16) | Large scale (n=3) |
|---|---|---|
| Typically unregistered | Government registered | Government registered |
| Located in rural villages | Located either in small towns or rural villages | Shops were always located in larger towns near agricultural areas |
| Often untrained vendors involved in selling pesticides | Trained vendors involved in selling pesticides | Several trained vendors were directly involved in the business |
| Some of these vendors are part time | Most common type of shop | Sell pesticides for a wholesale price to small-scale and medium-scale pesticide shops and also directly to farmers |
| Newer shops and were operating for less than 5 years | Primarily there was one person involved in selling pesticides | Offer attractive discounts |
| Pesticides sales are the main business and often only specific brands of certain companies are available | At times others in the household may also sell | Normally, customers exceed 100 per day |
| Pesticides sales are the main business and often they had available only specific brands of certain companies | They offer free consultancy services to select the correct pesticides | |
| The shops have direct links with pesticide companies |