Editor
Chemiphar Laboratory, an internationally accredited agricultural inputs analytical laboratory and inspection company, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Netherlands, has joined forces with farmers in the Kigezi and Ankole regions to elevate the quality standards of fruits and vegetables. This partnership aims to empower farmers to compete effectively in the global market.
With support from partners like Technoserve in the Horticulture Acceleration Project (HortiMap), Chemiphar is conducting extensive training sessions for farmer groups. These sessions are designed to enhance planting and harvesting techniques, ensuring the production of superior-quality crops that meet stringent international market requirements.
Nicholas Orapa, Head of Inspection and Seed Testing at Chemiphar Laboratory explains that the collaboration with farmers is being implemented across several districts in western Uganda, including Kanungu, Kisoro, Kabale, Rukiga, Rubanda, Ntungamo, and Rwampara. The initiative targets farmers engaged in the cultivation of avocados, eggplants, onions, hot peppers, pineapples, cabbages, and various other fruits and vegetables.
Orapa highlights that this intervention follows a joint survey conducted by the organizations and the embassy, which revealed a widespread issue: many farmers in the targeted districts were marketing products that did not meet global quality standards.
He further elaborates on the diverse defects observed in the fruits and vegetables sold by these farmers, ranging from physical and mechanical flaws to entomological, pathological, external, internal, and physiological issues. These shortcomings inevitably result in financial losses for the farmers. Through this collaborative effort tailored for farmer groups, the dissemination of knowledge becomes a crucial tool in promoting adherence to quality standards.
Farmers such as Judith Komugisha, who cultivates tomatoes and eggplants in Rwampara district, Medard Mataro, specializing in cabbage farming in Rubanda district, and Wilson Aine, a pineapple grower from Ntungamo district, acknowledge the limitations of traditional agricultural practices. These methods have led to reduced selling prices and a lack of interest from buyers looking to export products beyond Uganda.
