Farmers unnecessarily spend on agrochemicals 

The use of agrochemicals by farmers to control pests carries some risks. Most farmers in Uganda do not wear protective gear when spraying the chemicals on the crops, which exposes them to health risks.

They could accidentally touch or inhale the chemicals which are in reality poisons manufactured to kill pests. The poisons that kill pests can also be dangerous to humans if not properly handled.

Apart from the health risks that agrochemicals pose to farmers they cost money, which reduces profits. Another risk is possible ingestion of the chemicals by the consumers of the crops on which the chemicals have been applied.

According to an article from the International Potato Centre dated December 15 2021, late potato blight is the most destructive potato disease in the world, costing developing countries $10b every year globally in crop loss and agrochemicals.

To produce Irish potatoes, farmers must spend a lot of money on fungicides. In the article, Dr Eric Magembe, a research scientist with the International Potato Centre, is quoted as saying, “In Uganda, 300,000 farmers depend on potatoes for income and food.

Late blight significantly reduces family incomes and poses risks to human and environmental health.”
Yet even the efforts by farmers to overcome crop diseases with fungicides often result in failure. 

“Many farmers spray 12 times in one season, costing a quarter of the total value of their harvest,” Abel Arinaitwe, a research officer with National Research Organisation (Naro) is quoted as saying in the article.

The good news now is that scientists, through biotechnology, have bred Irish potato varieties that are resistant to late blight and can be grown successfully without the use of fungicides. If farmers begin growing the new improved potato varieties they will be saving the money they are currently spending on fungicides and it will be a lot less laborious to grow Irish potatoes.

Adoption of biotechnological technologies by farmers is a big step in poverty reduction, perhaps comparable to wealth creation programmes such as “Emyooga.”  

However, for Ugandan farmers, to access the improved varieties seeds the country is yet to have the Biotechnology and Biosafety Law in place.

Mr Michael Ssali is a veteran journalist, 
[email protected]