Peter Karanja, Mazao Group Chief Executive Officer says lack of
knowledge among farmers remains one of the biggest barriers to the safe and
responsible use of pesticides./AGATHA NGOTHO.
Joel Mutai, Chief Executive Officer of AAK Grow./HANDOUT. The Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) has intensified
surveillance at border points and expanded farmer education programmes.
This is as part of efforts to curb the entry of illegal
pesticides and promote the safe use of crop protection products.
PCPB Compliance and Enforcement general manager Lawrence
Kalawa said while counterfeit and unregistered pesticides account for a small
fraction of the country's pesticide market, their presence poses a risk to food
safety, public health and the environment, making farmer awareness and strict
enforcement critical.
He said education remains the board's most powerful tool in
ensuring farmers use pesticides responsibly.
"Nearly 80 per cent of our work focuses on compliance,
including educating farmers, agro-dealers and other stakeholders on how to
identify genuine, registered pesticides and use them safely," he said.
According to Kalawa, most pesticides available in Kenya are
registered and meet regulatory standards.
However, a small number of unauthorised products continue to
enter the country through porous borders, illegal local manufacturing and false
import declarations at the Port of Mombasa.
To stem the flow of illegal products, PCPB has deployed
officers at 10 major border posts and strengthened surveillance at the Port of
Mombasa, where officers scrutinise shipping documents and cargo manifests
before vessels dock.
Kalawa added that this approach, combined with collaboration
with other government agencies, has enabled authorities to intercept illegal
consignments before they reach the market.
"In one recent operation, officials seized a container
carrying 0.26 tonnes (about 260 kilogrammes) of unauthorised pesticides before
it was cleared at the Port of Mombasa, and the case is now before the
courts," he said.
Data from the PCPB shows that Kenya imported about 22,000
tonnes of registered pesticides in the year ending June 30, while only about
eight tonnes (8,000kg) of unauthorised pesticides were found circulating in the
market, representing less than one per cent of the total volume.
Of these, about 1.5 tonnes (1,500kg) were intercepted at
border points, mainly from neighbouring countries.
Kalawa said PCPB is currently pursuing 51 court cases
involving illegal pesticides.
"Four cases resulted in convictions during the last
financial year, with offenders fined between Sh100,000 and Sh750,000," he
added.
Despite the intensified enforcement, Kalawa said the
long-term solution lies in empowering farmers to identify genuine products.
"If farmers know how to identify genuine products,
there will be no market for illegal pesticides. Without a market, the illegal
trade cannot survive," he said.
He pointed out that, to make it easier for farmers to verify
products, PCPB has published an online database of all registered pesticides
together with their approved labels.
The board is also training county agricultural officers and
lead farmers, who are expected to pass the information to farming communities.
Awareness campaigns are also being conducted through vernacular radio stations,
agricultural exhibitions and ASK shows.
Kalawa also dismissed the perception that registered
pesticides are ineffective, saying every product undergoes rigorous efficacy
trials before it is approved for use.
He explained that when pesticides fail to control pests, the
problem is often linked to poor application practices rather than product
quality.
Common mistakes include using expired products, applying
lower-than-recommended doses, spraying crops for which the pesticide is not
registered and failing to achieve adequate crop coverage during application.
"Farmers should always follow the instructions on the
product label. Using the correct dosage, applying the pesticide to the
recommended crop and observing the correct application methods are essential
for effective pest control and food safety," he said.
Kalawa said precision technologies such as drone spraying
can further improve pesticide application by ensuring uniform coverage,
reducing wastage and limiting farmers' direct exposure to chemicals.
Routine laboratory surveillance, he added, continues to show
compliance levels of more than 90 per cent among registered pesticides in the
Kenyan market.
AAK Grow chief executive officer Joel Mutai added that
continuous training and responsible stewardship are essential to protecting
consumers and maintaining confidence in Kenyan produce.
He said the organisation is working with regulators to
promote the proper disposal of empty pesticide containers, encourage farmers to
observe pre-harvest intervals, and ensure only registered products are used.
The association, which brings together importers,
formulators and manufacturers of pest control products, has established a
self-regulatory system aimed at ensuring only quality, registered products
reach farmers.
Mutai urged farmers to continue following pesticide labels,
use only registered products and strictly observe the recommended pre-harvest
intervals before harvesting crops.
"Farmers should always verify that the product is
registered, apply it according to the label and wait for the recommended number
of days before harvesting. These simple practices are essential in producing
safe food," Mutai said.
Lack of knowledge among farmers remains one of the biggest
barriers to the safe and responsible use of pesticides, according to Mazao
Group chief executive officer Peter Karanja.
Karanja said while access to crop protection products has
improved, many farmers still lack adequate information on how to use pesticides
correctly, safely dispose of empty containers and observe the recommended
pre-harvest intervals before harvesting crops.
He urged farmers to seek advice from trained agronomists
rather than relying on guesswork and to purchase only registered products from
licensed dealers.
"The biggest gap is knowledge transfer. We need to be
much more proactive in ensuring farmers understand how to handle these
products, how to dispose of pesticide containers safely and how to observe
pre-harvest intervals. All this information is critical in ensuring farmers
produce safe food for consumers," Karanja said.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The renewed campaign against illegal pesticides highlights
the growing importance of food safety in Kenya's agricultural value chains. Although
PCPB data shows counterfeit pesticides account for less than one per cent of
the market, experts warn that even limited circulation can expose farmers to
financial losses and consumers to unsafe food.
With millions of Kenyans depending on agriculture for their livelihoods, investing in extension services, farmer training and digital verification systems could have a greater long-term impact than enforcement alone by preventing illegal products from reaching farms in the first place.
