Uganda to lose $500m to DDT

Sep 14, 2006

UGANDA could lose over $500m (sh927.5b) a year in foreign exchange earnings and market for 85% of agricultural exports if the Government goes ahead with the proposal to re-introduce DDT in the fight against malaria, key agricultural exporters have said.

By Emmy Olaki and John Odyek

UGANDA could lose over $500m (sh927.5b) a year in foreign exchange earnings and market for 85% of agricultural exports if the Government goes ahead with the proposal to re-introduce DDT in the fight against malaria, key agricultural exporters have said.

A consortium of agricultural exporters said they are concerned citizens who are aware of the urgent need to fight the malaria scourge, but asked the Government to consider various equally effective alternatives to DDT, which would put every one in a win-win situation.

“We are all concerned about malaria because we have all suffered from it, or lost people to it. We laud the Government for efforts to control it. But we are concerned about the way it will be fought and believe the Government should have alternative means to control the problem,” Ovia Matovu of the fish exporters association said.

Matovu said previous problems faced by the fish sector had made it expensive for them because the market insists on 100% testing of the products before exportation.

“The developed world expects a maximum residue level of zero. As exporters, we follow these stringent rules which are meant for food safety. This should not be just for them, but also for us locally who consume the fish,” she said.

An Environmental Impact Study report by the National Environmental Management Authority on DDT said benefits of the use of DDT far outweigh any dangers from it.

The authors of the report also contend that it is unlikely for agricultural exports to be harmed once DDT is introduced and Uganda does not export much to the developed countries.

But the consortium insists that considering the number of Ugandans earning a living from these exports, any impact on their earning capacity would have dire effects on the economy.

According to statistics, 500,000 households are involved in the coffee sector, 50,000 in fish, 30,000 in tea, 40,000 in tobacco, 55,000 in cotton and 500 in flowers, bringing the total to 675,000.

“The argument and many others in the report are considered flawed, misleading and unfortunate. Developed countries where these exports are sold all have strict guidelines on DDT. In most cases, any trace of DDT contamination will lead to immediate destruction and banning of the product,” Simon Kaheru, who read a statement on behalf of the consortium, said.

The US and Japan have zero tolerance to DDT. The European Union, Uganda’s biggest market, has tolerance levels close to zero.

The fear, therefore, is that although the Government is considering residual spraying, contamination may occur in several ways.

“Most small-holder farmers store crops inside their houses, which will lean against the walls during internal residual spraying. The walls will become wet with DDT and contaminate the crops. DDT can also be carried by the wind and water during washing or cleaning of floors and walls,” John Magnay of Uganda Grain Traders said.

They appealed to the Government to work with all stakeholders to ensure that an adequate review and consultation process on the use of DDT to fight malaria is conducted.

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