Fake agro-inputs on the market are affecting farmer productivity. Photo by Arnest Tumwesige
By Phillips Kica
Gulu: Perino Alur has lost shs4m from buying fake agro-inputs in the past year, despite buying from reputable shops in Gulu and Kampala.
“I purchased some gardening tools and an irrigation machine for my farm in May of last year, but the inputs broke down in about two months,” said Alur, a farmer in Nwoya district.
Complaints about fake farm implements are common countrywide, following the liberalization and poor regulation of the economy.
The fake inputs include fake seeds, chemicals, fertilizers, and tools.
“…when I returned it, they told me the spares weren’t available, and even if they were, they would be expensive,” Alur added.
Uganda considers agriculture the backbone of its economy. However, the influx of fake farm inputs in the market implies that a lot of money is lost by the government and farmers, while households remain food insecure, as more than 70% of the population relies on agriculture for their livelihood.
A 2016 report by Agritrade, a resource website for agriculture and fisheries trade issues, indicates that Uganda loses $1.5bn of revenue in fake agricultural inputs annually.
Dangers of counterfeit farm inputs
Michael Ochen, an agronomist with Syova Seeds, one of the top seedling suppliers in Uganda, acknowledged that there are many counterfeit inputs on the market.
Ochen advised farmers not to be misled by very cheap prices for seedlings or farm supplies in the marketplace, because most are fake
He also tipped them to look for a trading number on each seed or chemical to prove that they are genuine and registered by the Ministry of Agriculture.
“Once it [number] is not there, you should be in a position to say no, I cannot buy this,” Ochen said.
Grace Ariokot, a sales agronomist at Omia Agri-Business Development Group Limited, advised farmers to invest in more costly inputs.
Denish Ochira, the Kitgum district Agricultural Officer, said shops that deal in counterfeit inputs are always hidden, and advised farmers against buying from them because they are not examined by the ministry.
Ochira also advised farmers to consult their agricultural officers about farm inputs or get seed catalogs to be guided on which seeds are still viable.
“You know there are some seeds that are already not on the market, but they [dealers] will say they have them because they know it is out of stock.”
The Anti-Counterfeit Network Africa under the USAID Feed the Future inclusive Agricultural activity during a survey conducted in 2022 among smallholder farmers within the districts of Amuru, Nwoya, Gulu, Kitgum, and Lamwo, found that 55% of seeds and agro-inputs sold in most shops in the region are counterfeit.
