Farmers in the Elgon sub-region have raised concern over the widespread sale of counterfeit agricultural inputs, warning that fake seeds, pesticides and other agrochemicals are reducing crop yields and undermining government efforts to boost oilseed production.
The concerns were raised during a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the National Oil Seeds Project (NOSP), an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), organised by the Poverty Alleviation and Community Development Foundation (PACODEF) in Mbale City on Thursday.
The meeting brought together farmers, agro-input dealers, financial institutions, insurance companies, seed producers, researchers, mechanisation service providers and agro-processors to discuss challenges affecting the oilseed value chain and explore ways of strengthening market linkages.
Augustine Mafabi, the Mbale Branch Manager of Bukola Chemical Industries, described counterfeit agricultural inputs as one of the biggest threats facing Uganda’s farming sector.
“Everything in Uganda today comes from the farmer. One of the biggest challenges in the agricultural ecosystem is fake chemicals, fake seeds and substandard agricultural inputs,” Mafabi said. He urged farmers to buy inputs only from licensed dealers and called for stricter enforcement against counterfeit products.
Paul Osia, a Research Associate at the National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI) in Serere District under the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), said Uganda has developed improved, high-yielding oilseed varieties but lacks sufficient funding for large-scale seed multiplication.
He said increasing the availability of quality seed would enable more farmers to expand production, improve yields and participate in value addition.
Moses Mitala, Executive Director of NECOFARM, welcomed the implementation of the National Oil Seeds Project but said farmers continue to face shortages of improved seed and unreliable markets.
He urged government and development partners to strengthen support for certified seed production and improve market access for oilseed farmers.
PACODEF Elgon Regional Coordinator Peter Ababere encouraged farmers to form and strengthen cooperatives to improve their bargaining power and reduce dependence on middlemen who often sell counterfeit agricultural inputs.
He also recommended that cooperatives employ qualified agronomists to provide technical advice and promote good agronomic practices. According to Ababere, access to professional extension services would help farmers identify genuine agricultural inputs, improve productivity and enhance the quality of their produce.
The National Oil Seeds Project is one of the government’s initiatives to increase production of oilseed crops such as sunflower, soybean, sesame and groundnuts, improve farmers’ incomes and expand agro-processing through stronger value chains-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
