Agrochemical importers ask govt to delay EU-backed ban on 14 chemicals

Importers and manufacturers of agrochemicals in Uganda have called on the government to delay the implementation of a European Union (EU) proposal to ban 14 agrochemicals in the country.

The chemicals in question are used to manage pests such as the coffee twig borer and tomato pests. Some are also used as fertilisers and for seed treatment.

The appeal was made by Agnes Mbabazi, chairperson of the agrichemical importers and manufacturers under their umbrella body, CropLife Uganda.

Her call follows a proposal from the European Union to the Ugandan government listing 14 agrochemicals that should be prohibited from entering the country.

The reasons given for the proposed ban include the claim that the identified agrochemicals pose a threat to bee populations, harm the environment, and ultimately endanger public health.

Mbabazi made the appeal on May 14, 2025, at the opening of the CropLife Uganda Agrochemical and Fertiliser Inaugural Symposium 2025, held at the Kampala Serena Hotel.

The symposium, which concluded on Thursday, was held under the theme “Contemporary Local, Regional & Global Trends in the Agrochemical Industry.”

It was attended by stakeholders in the agrochemical sector including representatives from Yara Fertilisers, Syngenta, Bayer, CropLife Middle East, Grain Pulse, ETG, regulators from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, academia, and others.

According to Mbabazi, although the ban has been proposed, sector players have not yet been presented with scientific evidence to prove that the chemicals in question reduce the lifespan of bees or other pollinators.

Agnes Mbabazi addressing the press on the sidelines of the symposium. (Credit: Willy Semanda)

She also argued that the ministry should delay implementation of the ban because there are currently no readily available alternatives to the affected chemicals. She further requested that importers be allowed to clear consignments already in transit while consultations are ongoing and be granted more time to reorganise.

She warned that an immediate ban would drastically affect the agricultural sector, pointing out that for any agricultural chemical to be approved for use, it must undergo several trials lasting about one and a half years.

“We need more time to allow us to register new chemicals, which takes about one and a half years. We must have alternatives that we can introduce to farmers. We need time to teach farmers about the new options and prepare them for higher costs because some alternatives will be more expensive than what is lined up for banning,” she said.

Her appeal was supported by Given Mudenda, managing director and head of east & southern Africa business for Syngenta, based in Zambia. He called on regulators to exercise caution when implementing the ban to protect the agricultural sector.

According to Mudenda, fertilisers and pesticides have globally been shown to increase agricultural productivity by over 40%.

“Do we want to lose 40% on average of food production? Are we not creating the problem of food insecurity not only in Uganda but in Africa?” he wondered.

He also noted that the cost of developing a single product is extremely high and time-consuming, stating that it takes a multinational company nearly $300 million and 12 years to bring a new product to market.

Mudenda also questioned why the group advocating for the reduction of pesticide usage—Fork to Farm Alliance—wants to implement such measures in Africa, where pesticide use remains very low. In Uganda, average pesticide usage is only two litres per hectare annually, while fertiliser usage has stagnated at two kilograms per hectare.

“The Fork to Farm Alliance wants to reduce incidents of pesticide usage by 50%, but do we need a reduction, or do we need more pesticides? Our usage of pesticides in Uganda is too low—just two litres per hectare on average. Our problem is the need for more quality pesticides to ensure increased production, not reductions,” he added.

While advocating for the ban, the keynote speaker at the event—Hamadi Iddi Boga, vice president at AGRA—called for collaboration between the private sector and government to strengthen extension systems for the proper use of agrochemicals.

“Extension is very important, but public extension is limited because of funds. So, we need to come up with models like working with lead farmers and community-based extension workers to make sure that services reach the farmers, and that is how we are addressing it at AGRA,” Boga explained.