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Food safety experts call for robust food safety laws

The use of pesticides may damage the export viability of produce, say fruit and vegetable farmers. The chemicals in the pesticides may affect the health of the consumer and this makes them less attractive on the global market.

A fruit and vegetable farmer in Uganda

Food safety experts say toxic substances result in non-edible consumables because they put consumers at risk. This reduces the commercial value of the fruits and vegetables.

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The farmers agree, adding that a food safety law must be in place to uphold the standards of the fruits and vegetables in Uganda in view of their market being mainly the European Union.

As a result, they say, the high demand for consumer protection in Europe demands Uganda’s compliance to international guidelines, standards and regulations.

“As a country for a long time we have failed to have a strong food safety law in Uganda. Food safety control is fragmented amongst different institutions and therefore it’s not very effective and that’s why countries like Kenya and Tanzania are complying very fast,” said Samuel Balagadde, the vice chairperson of Hortifesh.

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HortiFresh is a programme supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands which has prioritized commercial agriculture in its strategic plan of moving from aid to trade.

The programme’s mission is to establish “a sustainable and internationally competitive fruit and vegetable sector that contributes to inclusive economic growth, food and nutrition security”

Experts say that any law on food safety must provide rules in connection with the cultivation of fruits and vegetables.

It must also provide for the inspection of the fruits and vegetables as well as for the registration of chemicals used in pesticides.

This, they add, must proceed hand-in-hand with sensitisation among farmers on which type of pesticides to use during and after the harvest in order to yield better products for global markets.

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