MAAIF WARNS FARMERS AGAINST USE OF UNREGISTERED AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS

Adile nelson, Arua district Agricultural officer during an interview. All photos by Godwin Abedican.
 
By Godwin Abedican
 
Arua
 
The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) is warning farmers against the use of unregistered and unidentifiable agricultural chemicals that are flocking the Ugandan market.
 
The agriculture chemicals control act 2006 defines an agricultural chemical as any chemical used to protect or promote plant health which includes fertilizers pesticides, growth promoters and fungicides.
 
Fred Muzira, from the department of crop inspection and certification in the MAAIF which is in charge or regulation of agricultural chemicals that oversees the issues of quality assurance of Agro-chemicals in the ministry has therefore tasked the District Agricultural Officers to be keen on what is being sold to the farmers and report accordingly for swift action by the ministry.
 
“The permanent secretary wrote tasking the District Agricultural officers giving them powers to do the regulatory works on behalf of MAAIF. What are they doing as an agricultural officer? Are you doing the inspection? Because, when they report, it also guides us from the center such that as we plan our enforcements and engagements, given that we work under a minimum budget we are able to know where to place our focus to where more cry is coming from. With that, even those who are selling the unregistered chemicals will know that where it has reached, they have a choice of either doing the right thing or perish,” Muzira said in an interview with Radio Pacis.

Fred Muzira (department of crop inspection and certification
MAAIF) speaking to Radio Pacis in Jinja.
 
Before a chemical is put on the market it needs to go through a vigorous process with agricultural chemical review committee under the secretariat of the crop inspection and certification  for assessment of the documentation, safety, environmental toxicology and efficacy of a particular chemical which if met is taken to the review committee to review the  report and if deemed fit for the Ugandan market the committee then pronounces itself on the same, followed by the registration of the product upon payment of a government fees for it to be put on the market.
 
Meanwhile, Adile Nelson, the District Agriculture Officer Arua points to porous borders as one of the gaps fueling the trade in unregistered agricultural chemicals in the market especially in West Nile.
 
“When you look at Uganda, because of the level of trade and free economy, there are so many dealers and so many buyers and so many sources where people are getting the goods that are sold in the market in particular the agricultural inputs. There are so many that have not been registered in the country but they are in the market. In puts are supposed to be got from dealers who have certificates from MAAIF and cleared as authentic dealers but that is not the case because of porosity along the borders,” Adile noted.
 
Adile further adds that, given the staffing by the ministry, it takes so long for responses due to centralization of the information center on such.
 
“We have ever come across some of those especially the Agrochemicals. Some of these are not being registered in the country. What we do as the eyes on the ground we communicate to MAIIF what we find on ground such that the ministry inspection team also comes to do the needful. But, much as the ministry is trying to curb this, there is still some loophole especially in the line of staffing. We expect that, the ministry should at least put one regional inspector based in the region for such issues,” he noted.
 
In a random check with Omia Agri-business one of the agro input dealers across west Nile to find out how they deal with unregistered Agricultural, Razak Omia, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Omia Agri-business said that sometimes dealers take advantage of the lack of knowledge on the side of the farmers to manipulate them as he calls upon the farmers to be vigilant in the wake of dealer’s in agricultural chemicals flooding the market with unregistered inputs as the planting peak season approaches.
 
“As a farmer look out for product that are registered with the ministry look out for manufacturing dates, look out for expiry dates, look out for the components of the products that are being sold to you, and be keen on the unique registration number. It’s your money and it’s a hard-earned money. So, don’t just spend your money. Make sure that you always buy from the right sources which us selling good quality products,” Omia appealed.
 
Razak Omia, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Omia Agri-business
crosschecking the registration of one of the Agricultural chemicals
in his shop
 
MAAIF has a register of all agricultural chemicals that have been authorized for use in Uganda which list is shared with the district agricultural officers and any product not on the register is not supposed to be used by farmers in the country.