Vegetables sold at a market on the Ntungamo-Rukungiri Road. Experts warn that widespread use of hazardous chemicals, many of which are poorly regulated, poses a serious threat to soil health, biodiversity, and human life. PHOTO | FILE
Farmers in western region are abandoning traditional agriculture methods and embracing chemical fertilisers and pesticides in a bid to boost crop yields and increase profits from their harvests. As the pressure to boost crop yields intensifies because of population growth and climate-related challenges, more farmers are turning to agro-chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilisers.
While these chemicals help control pests and diseases and improve productivity, experts warn that their excessive or improper use could pose food safety risks and endanger the health of those exposed to the chemicals in the farms and the environs. The crops that have largely attracted the use of agro-chemicals include tomatoes, Irish potatoes, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Mr Jackson Mbabazi, a farmer, said he used to rely on manure and traditional composite, but his harvests kept reducing every year, and he decided to shift to using chemicals in his maize and tomato gardens, and for the last three seasons, he has realised benefits.
He said last year, after the use of chemicals, the yields doubled, and he earned Shs7 million compared to previous seasons where he would earn between Shs2 million to Shs3 million a season. Mr Mbabazi said his land, which he inherited from his father, is no longer as productive as it was two decades ago, attributing it to years of continuous cultivation, unpredictable weather patterns, and a growing population that has left the soil exhausted. “Now I use chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and the difference is clear. My maize cobs are bigger, and I earn more when I take them to the market. Our soils are no longer fertile. If you plant without adding chemicals, you harvest nothing,” he said. He acknowledged that though he uses chemicals, he does not know the side effects or if the chemicals meet international standards, but said he only gets instructions from sellers on how to apply them on the crop.
Mr David Katuramu, a maize farmer in Kyenjojo District, said these days organic manure such as cow dug and mulch are scarce, and he was left with one option but to applying fertilisers and chemicals for better yields. “Our soils are no longer the same. Back then, we used animal manure and rotated crops. But nowadays, the land is tired. Without fertilisers, you can’t get anything. When I started using chemicals, my maize got bigger and heavier, and that meant more money for me. Chemical inputs have become a shortcut to success in an era of fast-paced market demands,” Ms Janet Kabahuma, who grows vegetables in Bunyangabu District, said, “Buyers want tomatoes that are shiny and big, not the small ones we used to grow using natural methods. When I spray my crops and add fertiliser, I harvest more and get better prices. That’s how I pay my children’s school fees.”
Threat to the soil However, even as the chemical-dependent model of farming spreads, agricultural experts and environmentalists are sounding the alarm. They warn that the widespread use of hazardous chemicals, many of which are poorly regulated, poses a serious threat to soil health, biodiversity, and even human life. They said that some of the chemicals on the market are counterfeit and highly hazardous pesticides (HHP), but some farmers lack prior knowledge and continue to apply them to their crops. Ms Allen Nansubuga, a soil scientist in Fort Portal City, said many farmers don’t get proper training on how to use these chemicals. In contrast, others don’t distinguish between those that are genuine and counterfeit, which are sold illegally. “Some of the chemicals being used contain dangerous ingredients that can harm both the farmer and the consumer. The more these chemicals are applied, the more the soil loses its natural nutrients and the harder it becomes to grow crops without them. It becomes a cycle of dependency,” she said.
Ms Nansubuga also cautions that food grown with excessive chemical inputs may pose health risks. “When residues from pesticides remain on fruits and vegetables, they can be harmful if not properly handled. Food safety becomes a big concern, especially when farmers don’t follow the correct usage guidelines,” she said. Mr Job Byaruhanga, the Masindi District agricultural officer, said: “Chemicals are applied multiple times during the growing season, sometimes weekly, to protect crops from pests and ensure good yields, and at the post-harvest stage, chemicals are often used to preserve food and prevent spoilage during transportation and storage." Mr Byaruhanga said his office is advocating for alternatives such as agro-ecology, which promotes natural farming techniques that improve soil health without relying on synthetic chemicals, adding that the widespread adoption of these practices is hindered by the accessibility and cost of organic inputs, as well as farmers’ lack of awareness.
Mr Julius Rukara, the principal agricultural officer for Kasese District, attributed the increased chemical usage among farmers to their failure to adopt good agronomic practices, such as targeted spot spraying. "Farmers should adopt spot spraying, applying chemicals only to affected plants rather than the entire crop field," advised Rukara. He further emphasised the importance of proper field maintenance and adhering to pre-harvest spray intervals to prevent chemical resistance. Mr Asanairi Muhindo Bukanywa, the agricultural extension officer for Kasese Municipality, said farmers with more than two acres of crop fields often turn to chemical application due to the challenges of controlling pests and diseases organically on a larger scale. Mr Muhindo advised tomato farmers to refrain from spraying chemicals within two days of harvesting to avoid potential health risks for consumers. "Farmers, especially tomato growers, should cease chemical spraying at least two weeks before the harvesting period," Muhindo emphasised.
The Head of Programmes at Global Consumer Centre and Coordinator at Food Safety Coalition Uganda (FoSCU), Mr Bernard Bwambale, said the primary motivation for using chemicals in agriculture is to boost yields and profitability. He said some international treaties and conventions have been endorsed to guide countries on the manufacture, trade, storage, distribution, and handling of agro-chemicals Mr Bwambale added that some agro-chemicals available in Uganda have been classified by the World Health Organisation and Food and Agriculture Organisation as highly hazardous pesticides and have been banned in some countries, such as the EU member states. He raised questions about the ethical implications of manufacturing products that cannot be used domestically but are exported for profit, citing examples like Mancozeb, a pesticide banned in the EU since 2014 but still in use in Uganda. "Some of these highly hazardous pesticides are carcinogenic, posing serious risks of cancer upon exposure.
Others are mutagenic or toxic to reproduction, further compounding health risks," he said. He called for government intervention to ban the importation of such chemicals to protect public health and the environment. Mr Bwambale said Uganda currently has 55 chemicals classified as highly hazardous pesticides, as per the criteria of the Pesticide Action Network (PAN). He also said chemical sellers must be certified under the law. However, some agro-chemical shops are being operated by individuals with no formal knowledge or training, posing a serious risk to farmers and consumers of agricultural products.
The Food Safety Coalition Uganda Report (2024)
According to the Food Safety Coalition Uganda Report (2024), data from the official chemical register maintained by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (Maaif) shows that by the end of 2023, a total of 115 active ingredients and 669 brands of synthetic chemical pesticides were officially registered for use in Uganda. Out of these, 47.8 percent (55 out of 115) were classified as highly hazardous pesticides based on the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) criteria, and 15.6 percent (18 out of 115) met the WHO/FAO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM) criteria for high hazard. The Head of Programmes at Global Consumer Centre and Coordinator at Food Safety Coalition Uganda (FoSCU), Mr Bernard Bwambale, said Uganda has the Agro-Chemicals Control Act of 2006, which established a board under the Ministry of Agriculture. The board’s primary role is to regulate the importation and exportation of all chemicals used in the country. It also stipulates that individuals who apply agro-chemicals must undergo proper training and certification.
Compiled by Alex Ashaba, Ismail Bategeka & Yoweri Kaguta.
