Agro-chemicals, acaricides: Here’s the remedy
Author: Matsiko Kahunga. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
Which agency is charged with agro-chemical research and development? Which one is charged with veterinary drug research and development?
“It’s getting to the tipping point and irreversible impact,” argues Mzee Mashurubu, and unless radical measures are taken, no one is safe. We are talking here of the present threat of fake agro-chemicals, animal drugs and acaricides.
On a recent family reunion, one kinsman narrated to us how his herd survived total decimation by fake acaricides. He was only lucky that the acaricide was first sprayed on the animals in one paddock, where only two out of the 32 cows escaped going blind. And this is only one farmer. And the crop sector faces the same threat across the country.
It is therefore high time government acted fast. It is high time we handled matters food the way we manage arms and ammunition. Arms and ammunition are not imported and sold in this country bila mpango. Yet food security is the number one pillar of national sovereignty. It therefore deserves the same if not higher attention as military security, which is the third pillar, coming after pharmaceutical security. How then do we tame this threat of fake agro-chemicals, animal drugs and acaricides? The solution is simple: we apply the system of importation of human medicines to the importation of agrochemicals, veterinary drugs and acaricides, namely we establish a government agency similar to National Medical Stores.
This we will call National Chemical Stores. The relevant legislation to effect this shouldn’t take long: simply editing the NMS Act to the new agency. This agency will become the sole importer of all chemicals in the country, with private players in the sector participating as authorised distributors, wholesalers and retailers.
All chemicals of whatever description and application: from ceremonial firecrackers to rock blasting explosives. For effective supervision, the National Chemical Stores will attach supervising staff to the distributors, wholesalers and retailers, the way it is with pharmacies. Along this will come the restructuring of the regulatory and supervisory regime, namely scope and mandates of Ugandan National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and National Drug Authority (NDA).
We need three independent agencies: Foods and Beverages Authority (FBA) for all matters food, beverage and nutraceuticals (commonly called food supplements); the Drugs, Chemicals and Poisons Authority (DCPA) to superintendent all matters in the domain of drugs (human and animal), chemicals and poisons; and the Uganda Standards Bureau (USB). Relieved of the current over-stretching and overlapping mandate, the USB will refocus resources and manpower to effectiveness even in such mundane matters as roadside furniture. And while we regulate and supervise the imported products, we need not lose sight of the dangers of foreign dependence on pillar sectors.
A fraction of the levies on the imported products (2 percent of CIF value of per imported consignment), should go into a research, innovation and development fund into human medicine and nutraceuticals, agro-chemicals, veterinary chemicals. As the first Covid-19 wave gained momentum, one sage in this country wondered what would happen to our pharmaceutical security, were national sentiments to push one country into repatriating all her citizens from Uganda, who control 98 percent of our pharmaceutical imports!
It’s strange realities that should inform our focus. For example, which agency is charged with this pharmaceutical research and development in Uganda? Which agency is charged with agro-chemical research and development? Which one is charged with veterinary drug research and development? Is it National Council for Science and Technology? How wide is the mandate of National Chemotherapy Research? What would it take to move innovations from the laboratory prototype to full profitable commercialisation? Do we leave this to market forces or it needs a deliberate intentional State financing?
