Training essential for agro-dealers
Word from the market with AMA
IN rural parts of Zimbabwe where the bulk of the smallholder farming takes place, the provision of agrochemicals for the control of crop pests including plant diseases, insects and weeds is handled by rural agro-dealers.
A national survey to evaluate the status of agro-dealers and training needs among other aspects was conducted in the first quarter of the year 2021 in all the rural provinces of the country.
The survey reviewed aspects on the range and types of agrochemicals traded, the handling and storage of agrochemicals, inventory management and adherence to the code of conduct by agro-dealers.
Results showed that insecticides comprised close to 80 percent of chemicals traded by rural agro-dealers, fungicides had a share of about 18 percent and herbicides had a share of about 2 percent. A sizable proportion of the rural agro-dealers also handled non-prescription veterinary remedies.
There were no reports of nematicides traded by rural agro-dealers. Smallholder farmers use insecticides predominantly for insect pest control in vegetable production primarily in irrigation schemes and these are a key driver of business opportunities for rural agro-dealers.
With the invasion of the fall armyworm around the 2016/17 farming season, there has been an increase in the use of insecticides for the control of the fall armyworm in cereals among all categories of farmers.
The fall armyworm infestations are particularly serious from the mid-season towards the end of the maize growing season and spill over into the winter wheat crops. In the drier parts of the country where sorghum is the predominant summer cereal, for example in the Beitbridge and Mbire districts, fall armyworm is a serious pest on the sorghum crops, particularly those that are planted late in the season.
The adoption of herbicide technology is inordinately low in the smallholder sector and farmers spend close to 80 percent of labour hours weeding in maize using hoes while farmers with draft power use ox-drawn
cultivators for weed management.
For this past 2020/21 farming season, the good rainfall regime also meant that there was increased weed pressure and this may indicate the need to increase the use of herbicides in the smallholder sector to reduce yield losses emanating from increased weed pressure.
Dangers of increased
use of pesticides
The increase in the use of pesticides, particularly insecticides for the control of emerging insect pests such as the fall armyworm poses several hazards to the users, particularly those who are not well trained in handling and the use of pesticides. The lack of suitable spraying equipment is another challenge that the farming community faces.
There is also the danger that when insecticides are widely used, there are chances of insects developing resistance to the insecticides. Such a scenario poses a huge challenge to the farming community and the agrochemicals companies as well.
Proposed way forward in the handling of pesticides by agrodealers and smallholder farmers
It is important that greater attention be paid to training of agro-dealers and smallholder farmers in the handling and usage of pesticides. Agro-dealers are the front people
in terms of distributing products to farmers and they also offer extension advice to farmers on the products range and how each product should be used.
The knowledge imparted to agro-dealers then cascades to farmers who are the major clients for the agro-dealers’ products. The training of farmers in the safe use of agrochemicals is also advocated. Farmers can be trained through their farmers’ groups or clubs and even as individuals.
Training agents can be from farmers’ unions, company agronomists or even contractors for different types of produce. Overall, agrichemicals play a critical role in food security and as such, agro-dealers and smallholder farmers should be capacitated to handle the products for the benefit of the nation at large. The ultimate objective for the farming community must be to focus on the wise use of safe and non- persistent pesticides combined with other pest control measures through the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Word from the market is a column produced by the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA). This article was written by Dr Walter Masakure Manyangarirwa, Head of Department of Agricultural Sciences at Africa University. Feedback mmlambo @ama.co.zw; gmashiri @ama. co.zw or manyangarirwaw@africau.edu