By Prossy Nandudu
Civil Society Organisations under the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) and Caritas Uganda have re-launched farmers’ organic markets, as an avenue where consumers can access food items, grown without the use of synthetic agrochemicals.
According to Jude Sebuliba, the Business Development Officer and Manager of Markets at PELUM Uganda explained that through the Saturday Organic market that takes place at Cardinal Nsubuga Leadership Training Center in Nsambya, the aim is to increase the awareness of existing organic foods and suppliers within the country.
“Through the Saturday organic market, we want to promote the existence of organic food items and their value to consumers and for farmers growing them to access markets,” he said.
Food items that dominate this market include fresh fruits and vegetables, processed products such as beauty products from goat milk, pesticides from food waste, and indigenous foods like yams, cassava, and sweet potatoes.
Other products include apple bananas (Sukaali ndiizi) climbing yams, Indigenous vegetables, organic honey-dried fruits like pineapples, and jack fruit, among others.
Research by the International Journal of Food Contamination published in April 2022 that assessed the presence of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables in the Kampala Metropolitan area, found 57 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables from farm to fork. Of the 57, 39 pesticides were detected in all the fruits and vegetables.
Titled the Assessment of Health Risks Posed by Consumption of Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables in Kampala Metropolitan Area in Uganda, the study focused on Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono districts because these have large fresh produce markets, restaurants, fruits and vegetable vending along the streets as well as the farms that provide fruits mainly consumed in Kampala.
According to Lydia Kagoya, the manager Organic Farmers Market, the initiative is being promoted under the Sustainable Agriculture Program under CARITAS Uganda.
“We are trying to increase access to quality foods to fight lifestyle diseases because the foods we bring here are sourced from organically certified farms and farmer groups.
All agrochemicals or fertilisers applied are produced organically from our local materials like food waste, dung from goats and many others, ” Kagoya explained.
Kasiita Gerald, an Agroprenuer called for support from government agencies to support the growth of youth-led farm businesses by reducing costs such as high taxes, and certification fees.
According to Kasiita, many young people no longer display their organic products on the market later on export because of the high fees charged by UNBS to get a certification mark.
In response, the KCCA Bugolobi Market Master, Adam Waiswa, advised youth like Gerald to look out for KCCA youth centres, which he said have business advisory managers for help.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Fruits and indigenous food items on display in the Organic Farmers Market in Nsambya, this was on Saturday, August 31, 2024. (Credit: Prossy Nandudu)
