Can an ordinary farmer really avoid chemicals

The tropical climate conditions in which we practice farming are known to promote the multiplication and well-being of parasites, pests, and crop diseases. Many of the pests and parasites that we keep fighting are unknown in the temperate zones and this has made it difficult for us to keep the same animals as those kept in Europe and elsewhere. 

Some estimates indicate that up to thirty percent of harvested produce in Uganda is lost to pests during storage while pests such as army worm or maize stalk-borer may destroy entire fields of the crop. 

We have them in bananas, in cotton, in cassava, in coffee and in the many other crops that we grow either for food or for cash. Pests may be referred to as all organisms that cause damage and destruction to crops either by feeding on the crop or by causing disease to the plant. Pests are also known to include rats, birds, and common thieves (human beings).

Fighting pests is an extremely expensive business. The farmer may use traps to catch and kill the pests. The farmer may also use the pest’s natural enemies to fight the pests. 

Some insects eat other insects and they may be introduced in the garden to control the multiplication of dangerous organisms. Quarantine or prevention of movement of crops across different districts may be preventive. 

Field hygiene in which diseased plants are quickly gotten rid of by burning and care is taken not to carelessly use sharp tools, may also help to prevent the spread of disease.

However it is a lot harder to control pests and disease by physical and natural means than by chemical means. If no pesticide is used it is difficult to imagine successful production of crops such as tomatoes, cotton, maize and beans. Parasites such as ticks, the tsetse fly, and worms can cause serious losses to the farmer as the animals may lose weight and even die. 

This makes chemical control of pests an inevitable option. But it is important to bear in mind that the chemical pesticides and herbicides are manufactured to kill and therefore they are poisonous. 

Often the chemicals are applied on grain and fresh food items such as tomatoes. This means the farmers must undergo training to apply the chemicals safely. They must at least follow the manufacturer’s application guidelines.

Mr Michael Ssali is a veteran journalist, 
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